Natsu Dragneel: Igneel and I
by GodPen
Summary: Natsu Dragneel: Disciple of Igneel the fire dragon. He is trained by him, raised by him, loved by him, and is his father. But by teaching him Dragon Slaying Magic, does this mean he is preparing for war with Fairy Tail?
1. Igneel Meets Natsu

**So yeah. This is my first story. It's about how Natsu meets Igneel. That's probably not how it goes in the real manga, but whatevs.  
Italics are direct thoughts, thought by the starring character in each section. I'll still write some thoughts as second person though.  
Since I'm new, and don't know how well people will take this, if I have at least 1 like or favourite, or whatever, by someone I don't know, then I'll continue this story. If not, then it stays one-shot.**

**While I'd love to claim credit for everything, trust me, my imagination is not sophisticated enough to have thought of this anime. I only own a couple add on characters and ideas. That's all. Thanks.**

Natsu: Igneel and Me

(Igneel's POV)

"Ooo~~~iii! Dragon! Here dragon!"

Igneel lazily half opens his eyes. What is with this human? It just kept coming back every single day with that stupid piece of meat trying to lure him out. The only reason it went back, it seemed, was that he kept eating it and had to go get more.

How could this child just keep blindly searching for dragons? Rarely do dragons ever show their face to humans. And he thinks that, he, Igneel, the fire dragon, was just going to say hi?

Now the human was looking at some stone relic beside a tree and trying to imitate its expression, and when failing to do so, started laughing. What a stupid child. Igneel snorted a small leak of flame, smoke soon following after it.

Igneel wasn't worried however. He closed his eye and waited for the human to leave.

There was a strong magic making him look like an ancient wall in front of a tree and he planned to stay hidden for a while. There was absolutely no way for the human to find him—

"Dragon?" Igneel's eyes snapped back open. The child was staring right back, with his eyes as wide as saucers.

His hair was a strange shade of pink, a black untucked sleeveless waistcoat with a gold outline, with a long trousers reaching to his knees, and black, open toed sandals.

"Dragon? So that's where you were hiding! You were just behind some old wall!" He laughed. Igneel did not like this laugh. He could just tell this one was a happy go-lucky idiot.

But, wait. How had he been spotted in the first place? Igneel pondered. His magic was in effect, he knew that. The child had just proved it by saying he only saw a wall. But if that were true, then he shouldn't have been seen. How?

Seeming to read his mind the child laughed again. He tapped his nose and smiled like he was sharing some secret.

"I smelled you!" Then burst out laughing. Igneel's eyes narrowed. This kid had a sharp nose!

_And because of that, he now knows where you are! _He cursed at his carelessness. He shouldn't have laughed at him.

"My name is Natsu! And I'm gonna be the strongest mage in the world!" Natsu. Igneel closes his eyes again. _So the one who searches for me has now been named. _

But now his search must end. There is now way for him to break the illusion spell. Igneel may not have been the best at illusions, but he was still a dragon, with considerable power. Without another dragon by his side the child would never—

**Crack-Crack-Bash!**

And for the second time in the span of a few minutes, Igneel's eyes snapped open. What was that one DOING!?

**Crack-Crack-Bash! **

He couldn't believe it. The child was using a stick to hack at the wall! No, wait. Igneel peered closer. It wasn't a stick. It was a tooth! A dragon's tooth! How had he gotten such a thing?!

**Crack-Crack-Bash-BOOM! **

An explosion blasted in front of Igneel's and Natsu's face, Igneel was sent into a coughing fit, and Natsu flying against a nearby tree. His head thumped against the unforgiving bark and darkness welcomed him with open arms.

It took some time for Igneel's coughing fits to subside, and when they did, Igneel had in front of him, what seemed to be a dead human. What should he do? He couldn't have a dead child just sitting there for the townspeople to find

He would have to hide him. He would just flame boil him till there were no ashes. But before that, he needed to find out how this child had acquired the dragon tooth. And for the first time in thousands of years, Igneel left his tree, and stretched.

(Natsu's POV)

Where? Where am I? What just happened? Then he remembered. His search for the dragon. The smoke he had sniffed. The explosion. It was all coming back to him.

He had gone to the biggest, oldest tree in the entire forest, in search of a dragon, in hopes that he could defeat it, sell the scales or treasure that the dragon kept, and gain a ticket to the rich, famous, happier life.

He had come so close. But at least he had captured a glimpse of the legendary dragon.

He remembered, just before he was knocked out, a beautiful red dragon, with scales like glittering diamond, wings as longer than any tree in the forest, and eyes that had a clear brilliance,

Oh how he wished to see the dragon once more. But the people in the town had said that if you ever spotted a dragon, you would never see one again.

Natsu sighed. It seemed as though he was life was just a curse. Wandering with no parents, fending for himself on the lonely streets, barely getting by every day.

Then he had heard about the rumors of the incredible magic you would posses if you killed a real dragon. He had decided to do it himself so he could survive.

_Because nowadays_, Natsu thought bitterly, _only the strong rule and thrive_

As Natsu finally gathered the strength to open his eyes, he gasped.

Where was this place?

The walls were alive!

Wait, no. Never mind. They weren't alive, but there was life crawling and slithering inside them; insects, worms, animals, and things that Natsu couldn't name.

Natsu gazed in wonder at this new world, this, this place, where life was just hidden away, just beneath the surface.

It was so beautiful, for one of the first times in Natsu's life; he was silent while he was awake.

Natsu had no idea, that it was this silence, which saved his life.

"So you are the kind of human that admires Mother Nature and her beauty"

The voice seemed to echo around him. Natsu turned. Or tried to.

He looked down and saw red insignias floating around him. That meant magic was restraining him. But then, who had cast such complicated magic?

The voice continued, unconcerned about whether or not Natsu had heard.

"Good. If you weren't, I would've burned you to a crisp, and left not even ashes" Natsu could just imagine hear that voice laughing at him.

"Who are you? How did I get here? And where am I?" Natsu yelled. Immediately, a roar of flames burst to life, in a shower of bright sun-like colours.

_Strange, _Natsu wondered. _Why haven't burned or charred at all?_

"SILENCE!" The voice roared. Then calm once more. "As I was saying, I normally would've just killed you," He paused. "But before I do so, I have a few questions for you"

Natsu believed the voice. He really did. But hey, as he was going to die after asking the questions anyway, he might as well be brave in his last moments. So Natsu put his thoughts into words and directed his voice behind him.

"Well if I'm going to die anyway, at least let me see your face!"

At this, the voice rumbled high and low. Natsu frowned. It seemed to be laughing at him.

"What an amusing child! Very well! I shall show you who I am…" Natsu heard the flapping of wings, and was buffeted by the air that seeped past him. He tried not to get smacked into anything again, as a huge shape landed in front of him.

It was the beautiful crimson dragon.

Natsu couldn't believe it. How lucky was he to be able see a dragon, not once, but twice! And the second time the dragon was talking to him! To him! This was just unbelievable.

Natsu was still gazing in wonder, when the dragon spoke again.

"I am Igneel, the fire dragon! Tremble before me, human, who dared search for my presence!

Instead, Natsu laughed. Igneel glared at him. What was he thinking? Natsu didn't just laugh at a dragon did he?

But it was just so cool! The way he could fly! The fire that could've burned him to death! He LOVED fire. It was just one of those moments in life that you laughed and couldn't find out the reason why.

Natsu kept on laughing, until Igneel could no longer stand it.

He roared "SILENCE, you impudent human! Or I shall burn you to a crisp and not—"

This just made Natsu crack up even more. "You already said that! Baka dragon!"

By this point, Igneel was just getting to angry to ask anything, but as a dragon, managed to calm himself down. Very carefully, through gritted teeth he said seven words.

"How did you acquire the tooth, boy?"

Instantly, Natsu stopped laughing, and Igneel noted this with some satisfaction, but also with a bit of curiosity. There was a history to this tooth, he now knew. Now he just had to wait.

All of a sudden, Natsu hated the dragon. He had no right to ask such a thing! Natsu could tell by the tone of his voice and the question, that the only reason he was alive, was the stupid tooth.

He almost brought himself to hate the tooth, but he couldn't. No matter what trouble the tooth got him into, he always forgave it. Why? Well, because it was the last gift from his father...

**Thanks a bunch for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed this! Please review and suggest what I can do for the next chapters and what I should fix.**

**Thanks again for reading!**


	2. Please Teach Me How To Live

**I'M SO SORRY GUYS! I was camping this past week and had NO chance to write this. To make up for it, I'll try for an early release of the next chapter. IM SO SORRY! Please continue to bear with me! **

**While I'd love to claim credit for everything, trust me, my imagination is not sophisticated enough to have thought of this anime. I thought of a couple characters and ideas. That's all. Thanks.**

(Natsu's POV/ Flashback)

_What? _

_Why? _

_Father, Why? _

_Why? _

_Where are you going?_

_The figure in front of Natsu ruffled Natsu's hair in a friendly fashion. But this man was his father. Why did he have genuine smile on his face when he was about to leave Natsu? The man bent down and grabbed up his bags. _

"_You'll understand one day Natsu. One day you'll see what I've done for you and thank me for it. One day" He kept on ruffling his hair and smiling. This annoyed Natsu profoundly. Why did adults always say things like that? Weren't kids old enough to understand things!?_

_The scowl must have crossed his face because Natsu's father had just laughed. This just made Natsu's scowl furrow even deeper._

"_Cheer up son. I'll see you again one day" Then he was gone. And just sitting in the spot that Natsu's father had been, was a tooth, with a note on it. _

_Natsu gingerly used his fingers and picked the note up. Inside, in his father's not-so-fancy scribbles and ink blotches over the paper, it said:_

_I'll be back one day. Here's a gift. Remember me by it. It's a dragons tooth. I just know it'll come in handy one day. Get strong and come find me. Happy birthday kiddo. Make a wish!_

_And Natsu finally allowed his torrent of tears to pour from his eyes as he looked toward heaven above._

_(Present Moment)_

That was the first and last memory of his father. He couldn't even remember his mother. And now the stupid dragon just had to go and remind him of it.

Natsu's eyes became moist and threatened to overflow, but through sheer willpower, he manages to hold his tears back.

Igneel, however, was a highly intelligent being. He was not blind and could read Natsu's body language with ease. He didn't even need to hear the sniffling and coughing to know he had bested the boy.

At least the boy's arrogance had been turned down a couple notches. But Igneel wouldn't pry. He didn't need to know this child's sob story.

Natsu was also unwilling to tell anybody about his one and only link to his father. He felt that if he did tell somebody, then he would lose that precious memory forever.

He would rather die.

Igneel growled. His patience was growing thinner by the second. And if this human was unwilling to tell him, then he had other, less, oh, lets say, dignified, ways of getting what he wanted.

But before Igneel was forced to play his more serious hand, Natsu seemed decided to play it smart. He would probably die anyway, but this dragon seemed to be the kind of person that would honor his promises. So Natsu simply stated

"I got it from my dad"

Igneel wasn't nearly satisfied enough.

"How did he get it then!? How boy!" He bellowed. Natsu snapped.

"I don't know! I don't know okay! I can't even remember his face!" Even Natsu himself was shocked. He hadn't meant to say that last bit. He looked toward the ground, berating himself for betraying his will.

Igneel tilted his head, considering Natsu's answer. There was no sign that the boy was lying. His eyes were clear, and there was no irregular change in his heartbeat. He seemed to be telling the truth.

"Alright. I believe you. You may leave," Natsu looked up sharply. What? "That's what I said," Igneel growled. "Don't make me repeat myself boy. Get out. Now"

Igneel raised a claw and pointed behind Natsu. Still in shock, Natsu forgot his politeness.

"What are you talking about," he retorted. "There's nothing—" his sentence was cut short as he realized there _was _in fact, something there. And the thing there was called a door.

Natsu couldn't believe it. When had that gotten there? He was sure he had looked around when he had woken up. So how…?

"Don't. Make. Me. Say. It. Again"

Natsu kept on glancing from Igneel to the door, over and over again. Door, dragon. Door, dragon. Door, dragon, Door—

"**STOP THAT!" **Igneel punched the wall and the walls shook. Natsu jumped, spurred into action and ran outside.

His first emotion was relief. He can't believe he had gotten out of that predicament alive, let alone one piece.

But then… he felt… disappointment… He had been so prepared for anything, even laughed at the dragon before he had seen him, and now he had been reduced to a child desperate for freedom.

He had almost forgotten why he had tried to find the dragon in the first place. Natsu was astonished. He had been so scared that his primal instinct to survive had taken over. It was what had saved him on the streets.

But now it was becoming a weakness. And he was determined to fix that.

And so, he turned around. And he stared, at Igneel. He must have stared hard enough, because Igneel looked up, and didn't look away. Not once.

So Natsu took a breath, filled his cheeks, and waited, when he couldn't hold it any longer, he let it all out, and bowed.

"**PLEASE TEACH ME HOW TO LIVE!" **

(Igneel's POV)

What was that child doing? Why hadn't he already left this place? Igneel could still smell him out of the tree. He reeked of oil and machinery. But he stood there, so still and so quiet, Igneel wondered if he had somehow accidentally turned the boy to rock.

But he continued to stand there, and finally, he turned.

The woods shook, animals and insects alike fled from the scene, while birds frantically tried to escape from the devil that had seemed to explode in their ears.

"**PLEASE TEACH ME HOW TO LIVE!"**

I couldn't believe it. The last time someone had said that, in the exact same way, under the same circumstances, was…

Igneel shook that thought out of his head. It wasn't possible…

Returning his focus back to the young boy, he noticed how the aura of power surrounding the boy, was innocent and pure, backed by a fierce desire to become stronger.

Interesting. Such passion and conviction was rarely ever found, even inside the dragon clan. If he was able to master the power of a dragon... Igneel shuddered. The boy could very well become the strongest, perhaps even stronger than THAT man…

Igneel decided. This boy would learn the ancient magic, and Igneel would be the one to teach him.

"Very well Natsu. Come with me" Igneel left the tree and stalked off, seemingly in no particular direction, and his tail flicked back and forth, in perfect unity and rhythm to his feet.

Natsu was shocked. It was the first time Igneel had acknowledged his name. It made him feel… warm inside…

"Hurry up, or else I'll leave you behind" Natsu hurriedly ran to catch up, the warm feeling still clinging on, and if anything, added to it was one of excitement and determination.

(Natsu's POV)

Eventually, Natsu had to settle with a half sprint to keep up as the length of Igneel's steps were as long as Natsu's height.

They continued in silence, as Natsu was too tired trying to keep up, but wouldn't complain, no matter how hard the journey would be.

Natsu was unable to stop himself however, when they had not taken a break for three hours.

"Where are we going?" he whined in a small voice.

Natsu was not completely stupid. He knew that they were walking in a huge circle over and over again. He had suspected this the fifth time they had passed the same tree.

He was sure of this when he had dragged a stick through the mud and created a trail, and was not at all surprised to see the same trail in front of him an hour later.

Igneel was leading them in circles! And had not stopped once in the span of hours!

(Igneel POV)

Igneel looked to the sky. The sun had been glaring from above, sitting above the tree when Natsu had started to walk. He could no longer see the star, and the sky was a lazy afternoon shade of red and pink.

Igneel glanced down, and was half surprised to see that the human boy was still there. Natsu was struggling to keep up, with bags underneath his eyes, and his breath came out in short ragged bursts. He was the depiction of tiredness, the definition of sleepiness, and looked like he hadn't slept in weeks.

The boy was good.

He had managed to keep up with Igneel for almost eight hours without stopping, and hadn't complained at all.

'_This should be enough' _He thought. Igneel stopped, and Natsu, too tired to even think much, bumped into Igneel's leg and tried to keep walking.

Igneel was astonished. Again and again, this boy surpassed Igneel's expectations like it was nothing. His hopes rised yet again for the young boy, as he thought of all the possibilities Natsu had.

That is, if he survived his training.

Igneel leaned down, and set him against a patch of moss beside his own sleeping place. Natsu had already closed his eyes and began snoring.

Igneel lay down. Tonight was a night to be spent under the stars. Today, he had been sent, what had seemed to be an annoyance. But now, Igneel realized, he had been sent a student.

_The 7__th __is approaching fast. I must teach Natsu what I know, before I leave. But if he is to learn, _Igneel paused that thought, considering the consequences and risks.

Why was he even doing this? Why hadn't he just killed the boy and be done with it? The thoughts kept swirling in his head, questioning him, pestering him to give an answer. But those doubts were dispelled. He already knew why, even if he would never say it aloud.

_I will teach this boy Dragon Slaying Magic, for _that _day. I am teaching him, because I will need someone to help me on that day. On that day, I will need… _

Igneel couldn't believe he was thinking this. It went against almost everything he believed in, and that was saying a lot. He organized his thoughts, and just to make sure there was no doubt in his mind, he said it out loud.

"On day Natsu, I will need—" he hesitated again. Maybe he was really just getting old and senile. He gave it one last shot.

"Natsu, one day I will need you," he stopped. So far so good. "I will need you, not only as an acquaintance calling in a favor, not as a friend," Igneel had to say this last part, or this would all be for naught.

"But on that day, I will need you as my son"

There. He had said it. A deep satisfaction closed over him. Then Natsu stirred. Igneel froze. Had he been heard?

No, Natsu was just turning and laughing in his sleep.

"I'll get to you one day. I'll be as cool and as strong as you"

Igneel almost had a heart attack. But it was just Natsu talking in his sleep.

Even so, Igneel wanted to feel like Natsu was talking to him. So he stroked his salmon pink hair with his claw. Then immediately withdrew it. What was he thinking? Stupid human. He had the nerve to annoy the great Igneel IN HIS SLEEP.

He curled up beside Natsu, his breath slowing and synchronizing with the boys, listening to the sounds of the forest.

How dare he be so annoyingStupid Son.

**Thanks a bunch for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed this! Please review and suggest what I can do for the next chapters and what I should fix.**

**Thanks again for reading!**

**Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	3. Man In The Rain

**Just a small warning to a few clueless folks. There's a bit of a spoiler about Igneel in this chapter, so unless your up-to-date and read, all the Fairy Tail chapters, then yeah. Heads Up. Recommended that you read the manga first. **

**But hey, I'm just the author, what do I have a say in your opinion. If you want, go for it. If you listen to me, thank you… T.T**

**While I'd love to claim credit for everything, trust me, my imagination is not sophisticated enough to have thought of this anime. I thought of a couple characters and ideas. That's all. Thanks.**

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Soft spears of sunlight fell upon Natsu's face, gently waking the young boy from his rest. Natsu sleepily tried to roll away from the rays of light, but couldn't escape its reach.

Eventually, he had to summon his energy to get up. And that left him more awake then he would have liked.

He flicked his eyes around and was surprised to see Igneel lying beside him. Natsu started, and some of his sleepiness was shed. Igneel was warm. So warm, that Natsu could feel small droplets of sweat beading down his forehead.

There was no way he cloud sleep beside a furnace, so he decided to get up.

Easier said than done.

Despite his shock, Natsu realized he was rather comfy for the forest floor. Hmm. Why was that? He forced himself to tilt his head down. Beneath him, was a small pile of… green moss?

It had this certain jelly-like substance that kept him from falling off, yet wrapped around him enough to keep him warm.

Excited by this new toy, any traces of sleep left Natsu. His face elated and a grin replaced his former frown. He began to laugh and jump up and down on the moss.

It was bouncy enough to be a trampoline, and the happy child bounced, and bounced, and bounced…

Until of course, Natsu bounced a little too high and hit a branch against his head. Again. In the exactly the same spot as yesterday.

History repeated itself, and once again, the darkness enveloped Natsu, welcoming him back.

The unconscious boy was unable to control his descent, therefore unable to control his ascent to the river miles away.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Irritating. Irritating, irritating, IRRATATING! Where was that boy!? He had already disappeared. The sun had barely risen, and already, Natsu was causing trouble for Igneel. Where had he gone!?

Igneel sighed. He was acting like a father who had found out his son had snuck out. He inhaled, exhaled, and inhaled again, identifying Natsu's scent.

Having found Natsu's of stench, he decided when he found the boy; he would get talking to of his life. Maybe a good beating too.

Igneel prepared himself for a long journey, and trudged off, following the all-too-familiar smell of human.

* * *

(Natsu POV)

Ahhh… What bliss… Silence… Nothingness… He didn't move, he barely thought, and he couldn't talk. He didn't even breathe. He _couldn't_ breathe. He tried, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. Something was stopping him. He kept trying, and trying and trying and—

**SPLASH**

Natsu surfaced the water. The human instinct to survive kicked in, and he slowly dog paddled back to solid ground.

He had self-taught himself to float, because of all the times he had to make a quick getaway when he was… RELIEVING, the nobles of their valuables.

Surviving meant resorting to the most desperate, pathetic, and despicable tactics.

Natsu wasn't proud of his past.

But he had been, and still was forced to depend on this instinct for the better part of his life.

All this streamed into his thoughts, like the water in his ears. He clambered ashore, gasping for air, and coughing out water at the same time.

When he had more air than water in his lungs, he lay on his back and stared at the trees.

Once again, though in less dangerous circumstances, he had almost died.

Pathetic. Truly pathetic.

He had to go back and find Igneel before he somehow killed himself.

He was wet, and his clothes were soaked. He supposed he needed to wash his clothes eventually. He was amazed his clothes had lasted so long.

He sniffed around. He tried to smell Igneel, but the water had cleared out his nose, and he couldn't sniff that far. But he did smell smoke somewhere, and since he had no real clue where to go, he decided to follow the scent of something familiar.

He began to trudge his sodden shoes caked in mud, in his mindless walk, step by step.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Igneel made a deep sound at the back of his throat. The boy's scent was getting fainter and fainter, until finally, it ended at a river.

Igneel stamped his foreclaws. The water had washed away the scent. This was getting more troublesome by the second. Great. What now?

Just then, a smell wafted into Igneel's nostrils. Igneel gave an incredulous gasp. That smell… It couldn't be…

Igneel turned toward the scents direction. He hadn't been up long enough to fly. He still didn't have the energy. So he was forced to walk as fast as he could.

_'Why was _HE _here? It was still thousands of years too early for him to have gotten out of that seal. Please don't be him. If it is, please don't let Natsu meet him. Not yet. I haven't taught him anything yet. Please'_

Igneel prayed like crazy, but Fate was a fickle mistress, and disregarded any prayers that came from Igneel.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

The darkness of the night was starting to wrap the forest in its wide cloak. Natsu energy and patience were both running low. He still hadn't recovered from yesterday, and now he was forced to walk at least the same distance to a spot that MIGHT be recognizable.

_Can this get _any _worse?_

**BOOM**

The clouds overhead thundered, and released rain from its hold.

Natsu was not amused.

He couldn't run, his legs were too sore, he couldn't talk, his mouth was frozen, and his arms were glued to the insides of his armpits.

Why did this have to happen to him? He was just having a little fun, then the next moment, he was drowning, then he was forced to walk for miles in the cold wet rain.

At this point, he couldn't smell anything anymore, so he was just blindly following the direction he had been walking in. And he just acquired a cold.

Natsu sneezed.

"Gazuntite" A piece of cloth was offered to Natsu. Natsu gratefully took it, his limbs slow and heavy.

He blew as hard as he could, then gave it back to the man who was now beside him.

"Such a depressing rain. Wish it would stop"

Natsu gave the barest of nods in agreement. Then his eyes widened.

Wait. What? A man?

Natsu whirled around, in a crouching stance that was made to judge situations. Such as if he should attack, defend, or run like crazy.

The man gave a soft laugh. The sound of a man dying inside, a man whose best friend was most likely solitude. Just like on the streets, he had heard that kind of laugh too many times. Just like… home.

"Who are you?" Natsu asked in a low, wary voice.

The rain was so thick; it was impossible to see anything past arms length. The man's face was a mere shadow, and his stooped, exhausted looking body revealed nothing other than sadness.

He was about 6 feet tall, with a thin body. Natsu couldn't see anything else about him but guessed he was about sixteen to eighteen years old.

"Me? No idea. People call me things, but those are just titles. I gave myself a name of course, and I think people use it. But what about you?" Though seeming innocent enough, the shadow covering his face kept staring at Natsu, which sent shivers up the boy's spine.

Natsu swallowed. Hard. He could've sworn the man had heard it.

"My name is Natsu"

The man tilted his head.

"Natsu is it? Nice to meet you" He held out his hand, obviously really hoping Natsu would do the same.

He didn't.

The man sighed.

"No? I'm not evil. I just end up hurting others anyway" He gestured with his hand that he still wished to shake Natsu's.

Natsu didn't move.

"I don't shake someone's hand if I don't know them"

Then the man did the most unexpected things.

He laughed. He laughed so hard; that he was on he was forced onto his knees from lack of breath.

"You're a very cautious person aren't you Natsu?" he said between breaths.

Natsu just stared.

When the man finally stopped laughing, he stood straight up and smiled

"Ahhh," He breathed in. "I haven't laughed like that in ages. Thank you Natsu"

Natsu kept staring, trying not to let all the conflicting emotions wander on his face. The man didn't seem to notice, and a serious expression replaced his once joyful demeanor.

"Well, that's probably for the best. If you're too careless these days, people who aren't as nice as me would love to take advantage of you"

Natsu could relate to that. He had things like that happen to him before. He looked to the side, closing his eyes, trying to shut out the memories.

But somehow, despite the blanket of rain covering the man's face, he could see Natsu, because then he said

"Aha. So you know what it feels like, to just barely survive everyday. We're right you know. A human has to be forever wary of his surroundings, else be eaten by it"

Natsu eyes widened and he looked at the man. He knew. He knew what it was like, to live in a harsh environment. To live at the very height of fear would allow. The way life demanded you kill, or be killed.

_'Just like me'_ Natsu realized.

"Yes," the man drawled, "I know exactly what it feels like. We are brothers by bond, are we not?" Once more, the man reached out his hands to shake. This time, Natsu reached for it.

**CRASH**

The trees behind Natsu exploded and Natsu whirled around to see Igneel running to him.

**ROAR**

Natsu hands flew to his ears, trying to drown out the sound. He glanced at the man, but he hadn't moved at all, he didn't even look surprised to see Igneel. Just annoyed at all the noise.

"DON'T MOVE!" Igneel shouted. He kept his eyes fixed on the man at all times. "Natsu, get over here"

Natsu frowned. Still annoyed at the dragon for interrupting him, he asked innocently

"What do you want me to do? Go to you, or stay here?"

In response, Igneel blasted a jet of fire beside Natsu. It was weak because of the rain, but Natsu got the message.

He scampered between Igneel's legs, sides burning hot from the fire.

But privately, Natsu was glad of the cover from the rain, and hoped that Igneel would also allow the man to take shelter.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Good. Now Natsu would be out of harms way from HIM. His son was safe. Igneel surprised himself. He already thought of the child as his son. No matter, he would think about that later.

First he needed to educate the brat who ran away.

He blasted another burst of fire at Natsu's face. There were no lasting flames, but the heat was still agonizing. Natsu rolled in the mud clutching his face, and whining about how unfair it all was.

"Excuses later," he growled, "First, I need to deal with the bigger problem"

Igneel face the man. The man stared right back.

Then Igneel bared his fangs and chomped at the man. Natsu gasped. But Igneel hadn't gotten him. In the man's place was only air. The man was now sitting on a rock a few feet away.

"What are you doing here?" Igneel demanded. The man kept staring, but slowly answered

"I woke up. I'm still sleepy, but I thought a good walk would wake me up"

Igneel snapped at him again, but the results were the same. Igneel caught air, and the man was another few feet away.

"Don't mock me!" Igneel thundered "You were sealed away, and for thousands of years, and was supposed to stay that way for eons more! HOW. DID. YOU. GET. OUT!?"

The man was too calm. Natsu was scared. What was Igneel talking about? Sealed away? Thousands of years? How old did that make the man?

Natsu made a confused frown. Just thinking about it made his head hurt.  
"I really don't know. I just woke up. I think something… broke my seal. But I thought that was impossible"

"It was supposed to be, and should still be!"

"Well it's the only explanation. It would've been impossible to get out myself. But here I am. So what are you going to do about it? You know you can't take me on yourself"

Igneel dug his foreclaws into the ground and clenched. The man was right. Taking him on even in his weak state would be impossible. And the man knew it. But he was the fire king Igneel, and he wasn't friendless.

"If you fight me, then even you will be drained. And my death will alert the other dragons. You don't want them another war do you? For now, just go back to sleep. I promise not to harm you while you're here, so long as you don't come near this boy" he pointed at Natsu.

The man nodded.

"I agree to your terms. I bid you good night Igneel, Natsu"

And the man melted into the shadows.

Igneel felt the weight of the sky life off his shoulders. Finally, he was gone. Then he glared at Natsu, ready to punish him for all the trouble he had caused… but the child was already scared enough. Igneel sighed. He really was getting old.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Natsu mouth dropped._ 'Where did he go?' _Natsu wondered. He had just dissapered.

Igneel glared at Natsu, and the little boy felt like crying.

"Natsu, don't ever go near that man. He is dangerous, and will kill you if he feels like it. Understand?"

Natsu nodded, and Igneel sighed. He began walking to his favourite tree, not really looking forward to the long hours back.

"Come Natsu. I'm tired. Today has been a long day"

Natsu followed, eager please Igneel after all that had happened.

"Igneel? I don't even really know who that he is. What was that man's name?"

Igneel stopped in his tracks. Natsu hid behind a rock, fearful he had angered Igneel. But Igneel merely sighed again, and looked back.

"Lets go home, I want to get away from this accursed rain"

Natsu hopped onto Igneel's back and lay down. Home. A home in the forest. That sounded… Yawn… great… but still…

"So what was his name again?" but by then, Natsu was already asleep.

Igneel looked at Natsu, out like a log. And he decided to answer him.

"The man's name, is Zeref"

* * *

**How many of you could guess who that man was? Not many huh? Ah well. I'm not sure what Zeref's personality is like, they don't say much about him himself, but I rather enjoyed writing about him. For now, he'll be a little more cheerful kind of man. A little.**

**Anyway, I think everybody should love a mysterious character. He'll be a big influence on Natsu's life, in all my stories, even if in some he wont physically be there. But enough said.**

**If you enjoyed reading this, please check out my other story: Lucy Heartfillia: Joys Of Love, Sorrows of Loneliness**

**Thanks a bunch for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed this! Please review and suggest what I can do for the next chapters and what I should fix.**

**Thanks again!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	4. The First Test

**YAAAAY! 100 Views for my first chapter already! THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! I'M HERE BECAUSE OF YOU! (And my mom and dad)**

**I now have a cover image because of a very kind fan art artist. His name is jalonzo1610. He very kindly allowed me to use his image as my cover photo. But because I somehow can't upload the full image, (If someone know please tell me!) The cropped and cut version had to suffice. But please check out this link to see all his crazy good photos. Thanks a bunch Jalonzo! **

** art/Igneel-and-Natsu-168764256**

**Btw, I have a lot of Japanese-spelt-in-English words, so if you cant read one, try thinking Asian. And I should have the English translation afterward. So ya. Watch out for those.**

**While I'd love to claim credit for everything, trust me, my imagination is not sophisticated enough to have thought of this anime. I thought of a couple characters and ideas. That's all. Thanks.**

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

That night, Igneel made absolute sure that in the morning, Natsu would be unable to go anywhere. When they had arrived back to his favourite sleeping tree, he wrapped the tip of his tail and threw him into the trees above.

Branches, vines and all sorts of strange plants caught Natsu before he could fall back to the ground, entangling him, refusing to let him go.

The dragon carefully placed himself, underneath the dangling boy so that his back spine spikes would be waiting for Natsu in the morning.

Igneel smirked. He couldn't wait till tomorrow. The training regime would start, and for once, he was looking forward to the next morning.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

The man in the rain was waving goodbye. Natsu called again and again, running after him, trying to catch up, but the man was getting farther away by the second.

"OI! Mister! What was your name again?" But the man just kept on waving and smiling and fading into the distance.

"WAIT!"

Natsu eyes flung open, his arm out reaching for something. Realization struck, and he tried calming himself, his heart still beating. He closed his eyes and forced himself to lay still.

He was safe. He was back home, in his soft, mossy bed, with the furnace named Igneel right beside him. He reached for the comforting moss.

Eh?

Where was it?

Eyes still closed, he reached around, and… found nothing. So Natsu decided to open his eyes.

Uh oh.

Where was the floor?

Natsu looked around. '_How am I floating? Where am I? How did I—'_

Panicked thoughts erupted into his head, taking priority over anything and everything else.

Then he saw the spikes, threatening to spear him full of holes.

Natsu was so scared he started to scream.

"OMYGODWHATTHEHELLIGNEELHELPME!" rambling on and on, but it didn't look like Igneel was awake.

'_He wouldn't abandon me up here, would he? Nah, no way. He looked for me yesterday. And he'll help me now. Definitely' _

But that didn't stop Natsu from screaming his lungs out crying SOS to anyone who could hear. But then, nobody could hear him.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Igneel could hear Natsu. And he couldn't breath. He was laughing far too hard. It was all he could do to keep still Natsu form realizing.

It was just too funny. His alarm clock had gone off, and he was having the time of his live. The sound of a disciplined child begging for help. He wouldn't fall to the floor. Probably.

It was early in the morning, and Igneel loved it. The sun was bright, warming his scales, and the child was getting what he deserved. Wonderful.

Igneel could no longer hold it in, and started laughing. He lifted his head to the sky, and bellowed his lungs out. The animals and birds were starting to think about moving. It seemed the devil had taken over the forest and was partying all day and night.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Natsu gaped. He couldn't believe it. IGNEEL HAD BEEN AWAKE!? Hanging on for dear life, the chance of falling to death so very close, and Igneel was just LAUGHING!?

The pink-headed boy could barely believe it. He was fuming. He would tear him apart, he would rip off Igneel's wings, then his wings, and those teeth would never grow back and—

A slight, sniggling sensation popped.

Natsu grabbed at his pants. Oh no, not now!

Igneel managed to stop laughing just to call out  
"Oi boy! How are you holding up? Gotta go to the bathroom do ya? HAVE FUN GETTING DOWN!" And laughter took hold of Igneel again as he rolled over and over, pounding the ground and gasping for air.

Natsu wanted to kill Igneel right then and there. But there was no denial that he needed to get down. And to do that, he needed help.

And he needed it NOW.

So first, he tried threats.

"GET ME DOWN OR ILL KILL YOU!"

That just made Igneel burst in an even more intense burst of uncontrollable giggles.

Well that didn't work. Hmmm… OH!

"You couldn't even get me down if you wanted to!"

Igneel just whacked him back and forth with his tail. And the laughter continued.

The slight sensation increased in tension.

Desperate, Natsu finally bend his pride.

"WAKATAYO! I GET IT! I'm being punished. I deserve it! NOW LET ME DOWN!"

Igneel finally stopped laughing, but only to sit up and stare at Natsu, enjoying this change in attitude.

"Oh? Do you really?" The trap had been set. The bait had been placed.

Natsu eagerly nodded. Now the prey had been caught.

"So from now on, you'll listen to whatever I say, and do whatever I tell you. You will be my servant, disobeying my orders shall result in more, horrendous punishments like these…"

Igneel listed more and more conditions of Natsu's release, the whole time aware that Natsu REALLY had to go. And it took all Natsu's willpower not to yell at Igneel, because he knew it too.

The tension became an urgent need. Just a couple more seconds…

"AHHHH! MOHHHH! I agree! I AGREE! PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO TO THE WASHROOM!" The great hunter dragon chuckled. His plan had succeeded. Hunting and cooking prey was so much fun.

His claws flashed and the plants had been cut. Natsu fell, convinced he would die, but with a flick of a wing, Igneel propelling a pink haired human to a bush.

Natsu flipped twice, and rolled when he hit the ground to minimize the pain. Then he immediately go up unzipped his pants, and did his business.

Natsu sighed. Relief flushed through his system, and a sense of calm washed over him.

It was in these moments that Natsu thought

'_Ah… life is good…'_

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Despite having somewhat cruel intentions in the beginning, he was still happy to see that he hadn't chosen wrong. This boy had an almost perfect grasp of balance, and could maneuver in the air not unlike a diving bird. He would do well with the physical part of his training.

Igneel nodded approvingly. Tomorrow would be the first day of his shedding. The day when he shed his off his old life, and would come out stronger.

That is, If he survived. But Igneel believed in him.

He needed to prepare for the ceremony. And that would require time. And lots of it. Good thing predators must plan ahead.

"Natsu"

The boy turned, still doing his business, a curious look on his face.

"Finish your business first" Igneel growled. Natsu turned back and tried to hurry up.

When he was finished, Natsu stood in front of Igneel, attention entirely focused on the dragon.

"Nani? What is it sir?"

An evil grin cropped from Igneel's mouth. Sir? Already? This would be fun.

"Today is the trial day. If you are able to properly receive my teachings, then you from today on, you will be taught how to learn how to learn to live" Natsu frowned.

"Learn how to learn how to live?" Igneel nodded.

"Your confusion is understandable. And I will tell you what it means when…" He glanced up. The trees covered most of the sky, but he thought he could see the sun just above them. Natsu leaned in. "When?"

"When I decide you are ready. Now go. Before the end of the day, you will go and collect the flower at the heart of the forest. It only blooms this time of year, and the path to the hill is treacherous. You could die. But succeed and will grow from it"

Natsu swallowed and nodded. But then something occurred to him.

"What's this flower called? What's it look like?"

"That's part of the test. Now go. Bring me the flower" And the dragon pointed behind Natsu.  
The child saluted and ran off, excited for an adventure.

Igneel chuckled. He was so childish. Hopefully he made it back in one piece. But now, it was time to prepare for the boys return. And when he came back, he promised to have the grandest of celebrations possible.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

He hadn't prepared anything except his regular backpack, but that was okay. Igneel would've said so if had actually needed anything.

Oh, he couldn't wait! There was no way he wouldn't get that flower! He would learn how to learn to live! Whatever the heck meant, but it sure sounded exciting!

So far he hadn't run into anything, and he was feeling invincible! Feeling ready to take on anything, he sped up, yelling in case any animal got in his way, under branches, and jumping over logs he kept getting faster, and faster, and fast—

**WHAM!**

The world spun and he couldn't control himself. Trying to keep himself upright, he tried to run even faster but—

**WHAMO!**

Then he fell to the floor, rubbing his head, swearing profusely.

"ITEH, ITEH! That hurts y'know!" He got up and gasped.

It was the man from last night. Natsu's eyes lit up.

"AH! It's you! How did you disappear like that last night? Where have you been?"

Natsu could now see the man more clearly. He was wearing a kind of robe, with golden edges, with a toga draped around him. He was wearing a necklace with a single jade stone, and had night black hair. His eyes were the same colour, and he was as thin as a scarecrow.

The man glanced around, as if scared of something sneaking up on him.

"Where's Igneel?"

Natsu tilted his head.

"Inaiyo. He's not here. Why?" Natsu smirked. "Does he scare you?"

The silence was answer enough.

"HONTO!? MAJIDEH!? No kidding?" Natsu threw back his head and laughed. "It's ok! You're my friend, so ill make sure Igneel wont hurt you. It's all right. Even if I wasn't there, I doubt he'd hurt you. He's a nice guy"

Still silence.

Natsu looked around, getting concerned. Where was he? How was he going to find his way to the middle of the forest?

He turned back to Zeref.

Do you know how to get to the center of the forest?

He nodded.

"Could you show me?"

Another nod.

Natsu grinned.

"Yogata… I was worried I would never find my way out. Arigatoune"

* * *

(Zeref's POV)

_Someone said 'thank you' to me? Yume ka? Is this a dream?_

The boy laughed

"Thanks a bunch! I gotta have something to call you. How about…"

Zeref tried to tell him his name

"Ano, my name is Z—"

**CRACK**

A bear broke an old log beneath it's paws. Zeref turned having sharper senses than Natsu, he heard the sound first.

Natsu was still ranting about a name for Zeref.

And an angry bear was right behind them.

Zeref spotted the den that lay destroyed beside the bear.

Oh dear.

They had accidently broke the bear's home. And this bear was an endangered species. A Rabbit-Bear. It was capable of great speeds, and could destroy boulders without trying.

"So your name is Z huh?" Funny name. But I'm mines not much better—"

"Natsu," Zeref said. Natsu turned.

"Nani?" And he finally noticed the bear. "OH MY GOD!"

"Please run that way. You'll find your flower there. I'll hold this bear off, but watch out. He has a mate and a child. The mate will retaliate and try to kill you. Please be careful"

Natsu expression hardened

"I can't just leave you like this. I'll help you. I'll be the bait or something"

But Zeref shook his head.

"No, the fact that you care for me is help enough. Thank you. Now go. I'll see again sometime"

Zeref breathed in, and flicked his wrists. At first nothing happened.

Then Natsu was blasted away, his body flung at the speed of sound into the forest.

Zeref let go a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Natsu was out of harms way. But that magic in his only just awakened form had drained him, and not killing him while using the more dangerous kinds of magic, had been harder than he had anticipated. His whole body beaded with sweat. Too bad he didn't know any weaker spells.

Zeref took up a stance with his middle and index finger, pointing up with his right hand, and down with his left, palms facing sideways.

"You shall not pass this point. Natsu has trusted me, and I will not betray that trust"

He breathed in, and let loose a dark wave of aura.

* * *

**The flower Shibusa is a Japanese word. I don't take credit for it.**

**Thanks a bunch for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed this! If you did, please check out my other story: Lucy Heartfillia: Joys Of Love, Sorrows of Loneliness**

**Please review and suggest what I can do for the next chapters and what I should fix.**

**Thanks again!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	5. Zeref's Offer

**I've recently found about this thing called a BetaReader. Probably should've known about this sooner, but ah well. Anyway, was wondering if anyone was interested in helping me out. I would return the favor of course, but I'll need a bit of help in figuring out how exactly to offer Beta services.**

**While I'd love to claim credit for everything, trust me, my imagination is not sophisticated enough to have thought of this anime. I thought of a couple characters and ideas. That's all. Thanks.**

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Now, all he needed to was finely slice up the scales and it would soon be finished… Igneel hummed happily. It had been a long time since the dragon had been in such a good mood. Children worked wonders without trying with their parents.

Now, just a bit of enchanted spider web, and he would be finished…

**Swish…**

Igneel gave an involuntary shudder. Then his anger flared. This aura… "**ZEEEREEEEF!"**

Promptly stopping all that he was doing, he threw himself past the canopy of the forest, beat his wings as hard as he could, and flew off. The birds chirped with fear. The devil of the forest was angry. It was time to move before they all burned to death.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

There were three thoughts running through Natsu's head.

One: HOLY COW! HE WAS FLYING!

Two: Darn it! He should've known that the smell of bunny and teddy bear came from a wild animal! Why hadn't he just turned around! Then Z wouldn't have sacrificed himself! Natsu pondered this while flying at the speed at sound. And that last thing…How had Zeref known about the flower? He was sure that he hadn't said anything. Hmm…

Should he go back to help anyway? Just reach out for a tree to stop him? No, that would be a waste of Z's life. He must go retrieve the flower, and honor Z's sacrifice. But where was he going? Had Z really just sent him flying to the exact spot? Just like that? Was the even possible? Natsu head was about to explode with all the different questions struggling to be answered in his head. So he did what he considered the most logical. He shrugged and forgot about it. Somehow, everything would work out. Now, he just needed to focus on getting that flower.

No sooner had he thought this, his surroundings abruptly stopped flying past him. Then he was dropped on his bottom. He got up, wiping the dirt and grime from the fall. Taking a look at his surroundings, he realized there was a small clearing ahead of this endless thicket of plants. Natsu desperately brushed and pushed and ripped away from the deadly shrubbery. Fighting his way to the clearing, he reached out to pull the last of leaves away and—

**SMASH**

Suddenly his head erupted in pain and once again, he was sent flying in the opposite direction. Nimbly regaining his balance, he managed to land on his feet with one arm on the ground and one in the air.

_'I'm getting too used to being smashed around' _he thought making a sad chuckle. He directed his gaze toward his attacker. Not so surprisingly, it was the Rabbit-bear. But was it just Natsu's imagination or was this big guy… bigger? Then what Z had said came back to him.

"He has a mate and a child. The mate will retaliate and try to kill you. Please be careful" So this must be the bears girlfriend. They didn't really look much different. But all the same, he had to get around her and get the flower. He couldn't see it, but how hard could it be to find a flower? He jumped from his spot into the clearing.

Uh Oh.

There were flower's everywhere. Red, blue, yellow, purple, turquoise, magenta… All these colours were giving the young boy quite a headache. Which was the Shibusa? A feeling itched at the back of his neck. Natsu rolled to the side and not a moment too soon.

The Rabbit-bear smashed into the ground, mud flying everywhere, while flowers were being uprooted. No! The flowers! If the Shibusa was destroyed… He didn't even want to think about it. Think, think, think! What could he do to buy time…? The infuriated mate turned and sniffed and bared his teeth at Natsu. Sniffed… sniff… Oh! An idea popped into the boy's head.

Stripping till he had only boxers on, he jumped out of the clearing and ceased his movements. It took a moment for the Rabbit-Bear to relocate him, but Natsu waited for it. Finally catching onto the scent of the hiding child, the creature gave chase. But Natsu was nowhere to be seen. This wasn't a problem for the Rabbit-bear however. He simply sniffed for his prey's scent, and continued to destroy everything in his path to find its next meal.

…

Well, his plan had worked, but it was only a matter of time before the thing came back upon finding out about the deception. Natsu fell from the tree branches with no clothes except his boxers. Now that the Rabbit-Bear was distracted with the scent of his clothes he had better find the Shibusa fast. What would a flower Igneel want look like? Which flower was it? What should he do? He couldn't tell… But in the middle of the clearing, was a stump of a tree. And growing in that stump was a fiery red and orange flower in full bloom.

Natsu sighed with relief. He would pass the test after all. This colour was so like Igneel, there was no this wasn't it. He plucked the flower from the stump and grinned from ear to ear, only to have his attention drawn to his left when he heard a twig snap in half. It was Z! He had managed to get away from the Rabbit-bear… but he was injured! He had several cuts along his arms and chest, with the familiar scent and red colour of blood clinging to his clothes.

"Z! Are you alright?" Natsu ran up to the injured man, taking a closer look at the wounds. They weren't serious, but if they weren't treated soon, they could be fatal.

"Natsu… It's okay, really…" Natsu just shouted back.

"NO! It's not okay! My only other friend will die in front of my eyes if I don't do anything now" Natsu whipped his head back and worth, trying to find something to cover the wounds.

"No, Natsu. It's fine. Look at me" Natsu forced his gaze to return his Zeref. He lifted his hands, and the boy gasped. The wounds… had closed on it's own. The only sign that he had been through anything was the claw slashes on his clothes.

"How…?" Natsu could only stare in wonder.

Zeref was silent for a while, but then he said

"It's who I am. I can't change that. I'm sorry. I guess you're repulsed. Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't hear from me again" He put his hands together but a firm grip took hold of his wrists. It was Natsu. Zeref face adopted a look of confusion. The boy looked Zeref in the eyes for a full five seconds. Then gave him a head butt.

"Iteh! Iteh! OW! What was—" Natsu gave him another head butt. "Stop, stop—" And another head butt. "OKAY, OKAY!" The attacks ceased. Zeref wrenched his hands away and rubbed his forehead. "What was that for?" he demanded. Natsu just stared into Zeref's eyes. Then he broke into another one of his grins.

"That was so cool! You just healed all of your injuries and when I gave you those head butts, the bruises healed fast! And you even saved me from that bear rabbit thing! Thanks!" Zeref just stared. This boy thought his powers were cool? And thanked him again? He cast his eyes to the floor, a pool of water forming at the edge of his eyes.

Then they fell. And Natsu just kept smiling while Zeref cried there. Natsu let a moment pass, and then asked Zeref a question.

"Will you be my friend?"

Zeref froze. He dared not believe it. He dared not hope. He dared not fall for such a trick, only to be betrayed again. He shouldn't but…

"If you would be mine as well, then ok!" Then Natsu and Igneel started laughing together, not even trying to understand what was so funny.

That's when their laughter stopped.

* * *

(Zeref's POV)

**FWOSH**

**FWOSH**

**FWOSH**

**SMASH!**

Zeref flew back and hit a boulder, cracking it in half. Natsu whirled around, expecting the Rabbit-bear to have somehow snuck up upon them while they had been enjoying themselves.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

There, in all his fury, flying just above Natsu, was Igneel. His nostrils had tendrils of flame flickering in and out, ready to blow at any moment. Natsu noticed this and tried to yell in protest, but the flame had already been lit and fire bellowed from Igneel's throat. Natsu cry died in his throat.

Slumping to his knees, he held back his own tears. His new friend had been incinerated. Just like that. Natsu could still feel the watered ground where Z had just cried. He couldn't cry. He couldn't be weak.

Igneel landed on all fours and his gaze never wavered from the cracked stone, now ablaze. But he spoke to Natsu in a matter of urgency.

"Natsu. I had told you to stay away from this man. You ignored my warnings and request. You WILL be punished later" But Natsu shook his head, his body vibrating with fury.

"Igneel! He was my friend! You didn't even try to listen to his story! What do you know about him?" Igneel snapped there and then.

"What do I know about him? WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT HIM!? He's killed countless number of dragons, many of who were my friends and allies! He's destroyed continents, eradicated species, and betrayed his own comrades! I shan't give him the chance of taking my SON!"

Natsu's expression was unreadable. A shadow crossed his face and he looked down. Igneel was unsure what to do now. He had just confessed of how he thought of Natsu. How would he react…?

"Igneel… No, father, you have to let go of the past. You should know how humans are. They lie, cheat, and betray others. But some still regret! We have to move on! Stop dwelling on the past!" Natsu fists were clenched and the words were forced from his throat. But he meant what he said. Would it really be that easy for Igneel? To just forgive Zeref and forget it all?

Father and son stood facing the other, each with their own convictions and beliefs. Then Zeref got up. He floated back onto his feet, and still didn't look fazed. He slapped his head, forcing a few rocks from his ears.

"Natsu. I simply wished for a world for the pure, the right, a utopia for wizards. But the dragons couldn't bear to part with their precious roles as gods among the humans. So they fought against me" Igneel smashed at the remains of the rocks, but Zeref simply used his mysterious powers and appeared a few feet away. Igneel snarled.

"LIES! You sought to wipe out nearly all of the human's population. The only wizards in the world are a mere ten percent! We dragons would not stand idly by as you killed whomever you pleased!" Igneel clawed the ground and arched his neck into the air, shadowing Zeref.

"Natsu. I'll show you what I mean. I shall teach you about my– no, OUR utopia!" Come with me, Natsu!" Igneel didn't move but he said.

"Natsu. He would kill innocent people just to live in a supposedly better world" Zeref had a crazed look in his eyes. He flung his arms to his side and laughed.

"You know how the disgusting humans treat us! They wont even take the time to think of us unless we get in their way! We know better! We'll show them! Come Natsu!" Extended his hand, he smiled, confident of victory. Natsu's hands twitched and wanted to move. Had it not been for Igneel's next words, he might have done so.

"Natsu. Who was it told me to forgive and forget? Who asked me to teach them to live?" Natsu stayed his hands and sadly smiled at Zeref.

"Thanks for the offer Z. I really appreciate it. But I asked Igneel first. It would make me happy if you would stay my friend though" Natsu offered his hands, but Zeref didn't take it. He also gave a sad smile, and shook his head.

"I won't give up on you Natsu. One day, I'll take you with me. Please remember me. My offer still stands. We could make this world so much better" Zeref bowed and allowed the shadows to swallow him up. "Until next time, Natsu. Goodbye"

Natsu couldn't bear it. Even though he had chosen to stay with Igneel, he hated the fact that his first friend was leaving him in less than an hour. It might be against the dragon's wishes, but at that moment, he didn't really care. He threw something at Zeref and the man caught it. He looked at it, and stayed silent. It was the crimson Shibusa.

Igneel was shocked. That flower… Zeref asked one last question.

"Are you sure?" Natsu crossed his arms, nodded, and gave the biggest smile he could.

"I'm only letting you borrow it, okay? When I meet you again, you have to give it back. Got it?" And right before the darkness closed over him, Zeref gave a mock salute.

"Yes sir"

Then he was gone.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

This had better be the last he saw of him… But this wasn't the time for that. Natsu was in a difficult state. He wasn't good with dealing with feelings. He usually ignored, or ran away, or tried to destroy anything that made him feel that way. So he finally gave up trying to think of the perfect thing to say, and just said what he wanted to say.

"Let's go home son" Natsu nodded and clambered onto the dragon's back. Igneel could feel the tears on his back, and hoped they wouldn't stop. It was good to let it all out. Igneel spread his colossal wings and took flight. There was a blood red sunset out now.

"Thanks… dad" What could Igneel say to that? He didn't know. So he didn't say anything. Even if he wanted to, the lump in his throat stopped him. They just flew back home through the forest, in silence.

* * *

**Thanks a bunch for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed this! If you did, please check out my other story: Lucy Heartfillia: Joys Of Love, Sorrows of Loneliness**

**Please review and suggest what I can do for the next chapters and what I should fix.**

**Thanks again!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	6. Could This Mean War?

**Sorry I haven't written anything for a while. I was working on my other story, one with a crossover of Naruto and Rosario+Vampire. And I announced this in the latest chapter for that, I don't want to write any more disclaimers. Why? They're a pain to write. Or copy-paste. Whatever.**

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Natsu woke in a state of nostalgia. The trees, their shadow, the moss, the plants, the bugs, the animals. Why were they so noticeable all of a sudden?

"I see you're awake," Natsu rolled over to look Igneel in the eye. The boy raised his arms to the sunlight, clenching his hands as if trying to do the impossible and grab it.

"What are you going to do to me?" Igneel raised an eyebrow, making Natsu boost himself into a sitting position.

"Now what gave you the idea I would do anything to you?"

"Why?" Slamming his fist into the dirt, he tucked in his knees and kept his hands clenched.

"Because I gave away your flower!" Still, Igneel's face remained impassive. This infuriated the child even further.

"NANDEH!? WHY!? WHY AREN'T YOU MAD AT ME!? I EVEN DISOBEYED YOU!"

"Are you finished?" Natsu nodded, not wanting to say more.

"Good. Then I will answer your questions… When you finish your training. Get up we start your training today. To start with, you will jog along the path I created where we first walked together. Any questions?"

Natsu gritted his teeth, and tried to keep his anger in check, but despite his attempts, all that caused him to do was become even angrier.

"CHIKSHOU! JUST TELL ME!" Igneel snorted smoke.

"Well, if I was going to tell you, I would've said something by now wouldn't I? But I wont and all this yelling is annoying. I will be watching you from the skies. When you have finished jogging 20 laps, starting now, I shall give you your next instructions" Flapping his wings, the dragon left the child on his own.

Muttering and swearing street slang profusely, Natsu began his 20 laps around the forest.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

The boy was in a state of turmoil. His personal sense of justice needed answers to justify his actions. He had disobeyed Igneel's wishes. And Natsu wanted to have the dragon punish him. His actions wouldn't be justified, but it would be a way of owning up to what he had done. He wouldn't run just because he disobeyed. It was the total opposite. Natsu was coming to him for punishment. The boy would feel at ease if he were punished, or at least rest with the knowledge that he had taken it like a man.

But Igneel could tell how this boy thought. It was quite simple in the dragon's mind. After all, he had lived for a countless number of years, thousands at the very least. And there was the little devious trick. His punishment would be… nothing. He wouldn't be punished, and that was the funny part. By not punishing the boy, he would continue to seek punishment and beat himself up in the process.

But he wouldn't be told that. What was the fun in that? If anything, he was already being punished by doing these extra drills. And Natsu would throw all his effort into the drills that Igneel had given him.

Well, it's not as if Igneel had a problem with that.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Breath torn and ragged, Natsu plopped himself onto his moss bed, drowning in sweat. Igneel landed beside the depleted boy, giving a cooling wave of air.

"20 laps… finished… What's… next?" Igneel gave an evil smile.

"Well, isn't that obvious? More exercise. See that tree? Climb to the top and back down 10 times. I'll tell you what to do after" And so it began. This tiring, meaningless pattern of run, climb, push, pull, left, right, forward, back, drill after drill, run after run. The boot camp continued, and Igneel had no end of amusing tasks for Natsu to do. Job after job, little by little, Natsu forgot about wanting to know the reason for not being punished. The tasks were already punishment enough, and by noon, he was so tired, it hurt to think.

Finishing up his latest job, gathering all the apples on a tree more than 50 meters tall, Natsu let his legs collapse and lay on his back. He needed to rest in what little time was available to him.

Igneel was sitting in his favourite tree, one with a large enough branch to hold his weight, while giving him a front seat view of Natsu's adventures. His tail lay dangling down, flicking back and forth, not unlike a cat…

"Gokurosama. Good job kid. Now is the time I will allow you to ask any question you might have. But I will limit them to three, and you have 5 minutes to think and ask. Begin" Without a second thought, Natsu asked

"Why haven't you punished me?" Chuckling, the dragon replied,  
"Because it's a punishment" Shocked by the sudden and simple response, a minute on Igneel's internal watch ticked by.

"4 minutes left boy. Better think quick and careful" The next one was another question the boy had had on his mind for a while.

"Can I become friends with Z one day?" This puzzled Igneel. Z? Then it clicked, and he groaned.

_'He means Zeref. Friends? Imposs—' _But even that thought died as soon as it appeared. Nothing seemed impossible with this brat.

"I cannot answer that, because I do not know. Maybe. Last question"

Natsu wracked his brain. He hadn't thought that far. What could he ask? Something embarrassing? No, he probably wouldn't even consider answering something like that. But something had been bothering him. He could ask that… Wording his question, very carefully, so it didn't count as two, he asked

"Why are you teaching me how to live when I gave away the Shibusa to Z?" This time, Igneel let out a bark of laughter.

"That's right, I haven't told you yet. You see boy, the flower you picked wasn't the Shibusa," Natsu blinked. What? Igneel was giving a bemused look. "Yes, that's right, that wasn't it. What I didn't tell you was that you couldn't find the Shibusa. Not really anyway. You see, the Shibusa is a special flower with a mind of it's own. You go to where it plants it roots, and then IT finds YOU. It will show itself to those who either planted them, or to the ones who protects it's rooting place" Realization dawned on Natsu's face. He HAD drawn the Rabbit-Bunny away from the flowers to go pick it himself. Did that really count?

"But, dad, if that's true, then were how did I pick it?" Natsu stomped his heel. That had already been three questions. But out of the blue, Igneel answered the question. Maybe because of how Natsu had asked?

"Look in your pack" Natsu puzzled, obeyed without question. And inside his backpack, was a simple white flower. The incredulous boy removed the flower from his bag. It had been here the whole time?

"It found and chose you son. And there is the proof you have passed my test. Now eat it" Why was life so confusing? Natsu picked at his ears and gestured for Igneel to say it again. The dragon sighed. Was what he was saying really all that complicated?

"You heard me. Eat the Shibusa, or I'll stuff it down your mouth myself" Spurred into action, Natsu greedily ate the flower. It tasted funny, not at all appetizing, then sort of exploded in spores partway down his throat. Coughing, Natsu tried to spit out the pollen but Igneel held a claw to his lips.

"Don't. Or the past few days will have been for nothing" Gathering the rest of his courage, the boy swallowed the last bit of powder.

"Congratulations. We will now begin the magical part of your training in a few hours."

Natsu started to protest but then Igneel snapped his teeth in front of his child's face, growling impatiently.

"Don't start that 'I don't need rest' crap. You're going to need all the energy you can get. If you're going to protest, then I'll say this now. If you think you can do what I'm going to show you next without rest, you have another thing coming. And if you keep badgering me about it, I have a condition. When you fail, you will leave the forest and go back to town. Don't ever look for me again. Is that clear?" Igneel stared Natsu straight in the eye, showing how serious he was. Natsu held back the string of insults at the back of his throat. This was no light matter. He would really leave Natsu. And would never be found again.

"Fine" was the curt reply. The boy turned to his side, looking away from the dragon. Satisfied, Igneel laid his head on his claws and also preparing himself for the next hours to come.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

"Are you ready? If you wish to learn what I'm about to teach you, it will prevent you from learning other styles of magic. Do you still want to continue?" Natsu nodded, Igneel doing the same.

"Very well. Let us begin. Concentrate on focusing on breathing through your nose. Arms out, inhale, look up, exhale, look down, and inhale. Repeat this until I say so. Do not think of anything else" They were sitting opposite of each other on flat-faced rocks, the river's waterfall pounded directly behind them.

_'Seriously? A waterfall? That's so stereotypical, can't we do something cooler?" _As soon as the thought was projected into his brain, Igneel flicked his tail slapping Natsu in the face. Hard. The boy was sent flying into the gushing rush of water, the combination of gravity and weight, pulverizing his body. It was over as fast as it had happened. Igneel had hauled him back to the rock with his tail in one swift movement.

"Again" He growled.

They repeated the sequence, over and over, Natsu always failing shortly after because of some form of distraction. The most recent one was because he had tried to concentrate too hard, causing him to shake and slip off the rock and into the water.

The dripping wet boy got back into his position and stood there, sneaking a quick peek at the dragon. Igneel was as still as ever, not once had he made a mistake. He wasn't even using his claws to hold his balance. This small glance earned him another lashing from Igneel. This time the little boy was hit in his precious spot. Natsu whimpered fell to his knees. He would be feeling that in the mornings to come.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

The boy was slowly getting slowly better. Making fewer mistakes as time went by, it seemed as though he would be able to concentrate for at least 20 minutes without interruption.

**ACHOO**

Igneel groaned inwardly. Never mind. He slapped Natsu into the waterfall again, this time waiting for seconds longer than the last time. Then he placed the helpless boy back in place. Soon now, he would be able to go for half an hour of this. That was the time HE had done it in. Anytime now…

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Sweet. He could now go for a really long time without doing anything. Didn't that mean he was finished? Natsu sighed. This really was going on for a long time. When would he be finished? How long was it going to be? Why did Igneel make Natsu do this? Why—

**SMACK**

GAH! Thinking was literally becoming painful. So he used the solution that always worked when tried to think too much. He forgot to think and begun to listen to the liquid water rain from the heavens, to the bugs and birds of the forest. Huh. Kind of felt like this morning… This wasn't so bad…

_'I think I'll just stay like this for a while…'_

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

There! The moment Igneel had been waiting for. A spiritual flash in his son's soul resonating inside of him. Keep it up! Almost there son!

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Breath in. Breath out. Again. There was something building in his mind, but Natsu stubbornly refused to come out of his state of calm. Terrible memories he had thought he had buried were resurfacing. The feeling persisted. His nightmares haunted him again, but Natsu kept it his body still. The internal battle followed. Let it all go. You have to… Memories of his first stolen purse flashed in his head.

_'No, I don't. Leave' _The memory left, only to be replaced by something worse.

You have to. It's inevitable. Just give in sooner… His last fight with the street bullies.

_'No, I won't'_

It's easier to just give in… The emotions and feeling of pain that flared in his chest when he was caught stealing.

_'But then all my time will have been for nothing! I refuse!'_

… Are you sure…? The memories all turned to face him. They were smiling.

_'LEAVE!'_

Then a new voice entered the conversation. It was his father. The darkness was dispelled away, the dragon's voice carrying power.

"Wisely said my son. Now breathe in as long as you can" Wordlessly Natsu did as he was told. Breathing in as long as he could, he thought his sweat was sliding down his face faster than usual…

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Igneel could see the fiery orange aura surrounding his son, as he battled the urge to let it consume him. Now was the time to release it.

"Relax, and let your breath go, son, and yell out to the world"

And with that, Natsu screamed his years of fury, sorrow, and hate to the sky.

**"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"**

The waterfall was cut in two and evaporated in the haze of steam, the blast still going strong, streaming past clouds and birds alike.

* * *

(Some place far away…)

Makarov Dreyar, guild master of Fairy Tail looked up. Again? He hadn't felt this in a while. His serious face showed, and he gripped his staff tightly. This could mean be misunderstanding, but it was better to make sure of it before he did anything hasty.

"Master?" The old man directed his gaze down, spotting a small child with silver hair staring at him.

"Master?" repeated Lisanna, the youngest of the Strauss family "What's wrong? You have a scary face on" Master forced his facial features back into a smile.

"Nothing's wrong child, I'm just getting old. Don't mind me, I think I'll go use the restroom. Ohohoho!" He emitted his trademark elderly laugh, and the little girl was all smiles again.

"Ah, ok. Good luck with that" She said cheerily turning back to the conversation she was having to her brother and sister.

As soon as she had turned, the frown had placed itself back on the old man's face. This wasn't good. If Igneel had crowned a successor… Did that mean he was getting ready for war?

* * *

**Hehehe… You guys like having Fairy Tail now involved? They'll play a large part later. Don't worry.**

**After this chapter, because of Bertius Maximus, a fellow author and friend of mine, he has allowed me to somewhat copy his story. His ideas inspired mine, and it wont be an outright rip-off, but some of the ideas will be the same. Please read his stories and provide him support guys!**

** u/4418499/BertiusMaximus**

**Thanks a bunch for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed this! If you did, please check out my other stories!**

**Please review and suggest what I can do for the next chapters and what I should fix.**

**Thanks again!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	7. Undercover Job

**Okay guys, I'm gonna need some help. I have a poll put up on my profile page, and the following questions are this: In my other story, 'Fairy Tail's Vampire' should Mira's personality when she's growing up stay the same daredevil rival of Erza, or the kind barmaid poster girl, or perhaps maybe possibly if I can think of a way… A bit of both? Like I said, it's on my profile page so please vote **

* * *

(Makarov's POV)

**Knock**

**Knock**

**Knock **

"Come in," Makarov answered. The door to the guild master's office slowly creaked open to reveal a young girl. Her attire consisted of a skimpy gothic-like shit that only reached a bit before her stomach stitched with a skull and wings by it's sides, a single magenta ribbon tying her hair in a ponytail with stands of hair to the sides of her face, and dark leather shorts. In other words, the very definition of a tomboy. Grunting, she slammed the door shut.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about old man? And make it quick, I was about to eat and I just came back from a mission. I'm starving and you know how I am when I get hungry"

The elderly man gestured at the stool in front of his desk.

"Hello Mirajane, and welcome back. Thank you for coming on such a short notice. Please, sit. I promise to be as brief as possible" Mirajane shrugged, giving a lazy hop onto the chair. Makarov handed her a plate of steaming chocolate chip cookies.

"Cookie?" The girl gave a deep-throated growl. "You said this would be short" Makarov sighed.

"Indeed I did. But it still might take a while and I suggest eating them while they're still hot" She glared at him, but nonetheless accepted the offered pastry, munching somewhat darkly, but immediately brightening when she tasted it's cinnamon goodness. Spinning in circles on the rotating footstool, the young female began to hum cheerily. Clearing his throat Makarov continued.

"As you pointed out, I did say I would try to be brief. We have a problem. A potentially large one that may even possibly lead to war" Mirajane stopped spinning, attention now completely on her guild master.

"Whaddaya mean war?" Makarov pinched the bridges of his nose, letting out a breath reeking stress and impatience.

"I dare not tell you all the details right now, for fear that I am wrong and put you in harms way. But what I can say is that someone has gained a lot of power, and we have no idea whose side he's on. I want you to find out, and tell me, under the pretense of a simple guild request. Normally I would go myself, but…" The guild master swept his hands around his office, every square inch covered in paperwork that required reading over, signatures, and other tedious jobs that demanded working on. A few fake tears slide out his eyes. "I'm trapped and haven't been out in months…"

Mirajane let half of her cookie hang limply from her mouth, eyes skimming over the parchment, lazily gleaming the basic information.

"And exactly why am I not allowed to know everything?"

"Because should I be incorrect in my assumptions, and I pray this is so… Let us just say you will be able to sleep better at night. Will you accept this job?" Finishing off her food, Mirajane belched.

"And why me exactly?" Makarov smiled. Time to lay the bait that would feed the girl's already huge ego.

"Well, you obviously are the strongest in the guild, so isn't it natural that I entrust such an important mission to you and your team?" He handed her a dry scroll that contained the details of her cover mission. Of course, while the fact that Mirajane was strong was undeniable, Makarov could've just as easily given the mission to Erza or Laxus, but the redheaded knight had her own mission, and his grandson had disappeared to the heavens knew where again, so the only one left was Mirajane, but she didn't need to know that. Straightening out her back, the child smiled arrogantly and pointed to her chest, happy to have someone she recognized as a superior compliment her.

"Pfft! Atadamarideshou! Obviously! Glad you finally figured that out old man! `Course I'll do it! When do I leave?" The trap had been set, the bait had been laid, and the prey had been caught. Too easy.

"Whenever you want" Wasting no time, Mirajane raced back to the entrance her voice ringing "I'll go right now then! Don't worry now gramps! I'll be finished in no time!" Makarov chuckled, hearing echoes of the young girl disturbances as she ran to her siblings.

"Wait, wait, Nee-chan! Where are we going? Oh no! My lunch! Nee-chan, how could you! That was mine!" Laughter.

"I'll treat you to food later Lisanna. I just got us another job to do so hurry up and get ready and be snappy about it!" A male voice spoke up.

"Nee-san, do we really need to leave it right this instant? I still haven't eaten either and Lisanna—"

**Thwack**

"Shut up! When I say we leave, we leave! We'll go back home and pack, then we'll take the train! Got it?" A heavy sigh.

"Yeah, okay…"

"BWAHAHAHHA! IN YOUR FACE ERZA! I GOT THIS MISSION, NOT YOU! I'LL SHOW YOU HOW MUCH BETTER I AM THAN YOU!" Sweat dropping, Makarov wondered if he had really chosen well.

_'Is she really going to be all right? Oh dear, I hope I haven't made the wrong choice…'_

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

_'Concentrate, concentrate… C'mon…' _

**BOOM**

The apple in front of him blew up, the force of the explosion knocking him backwards. Groaning, Natsu picked himself up and sat, legs crossed face in his hands.

"CHIKSHOU! DAMNIT! WHY DOES IT KEEP DOING THAT!?" He screamed into his palms. The exercise Igneel had set him was simple: Burn the apple from the stem to the seeds, leaving everything else untouched. But why was it so hard? He slammed his head against a tree stump, as if the pain would somehow make the task easier. Igneel sat nearby, laughing at his son.

"Pathetic. You really expect to beat me like this?" Weeks ago, Natsu had declared, as his first act of learning the ancient form of Dragon-Slaying magic, that his goal would be to defeat Igneel in any sort of challenge, whether it be combat, victory by insults, or any other insane competition, the enthusiastic boy had sworn to win. So far however, not much progress to this goal on the 'concentration' side had been made. Igneel admitted the boy did have an incredible amount of strength and power, but if he couldn't control that power or touch his opponents, then it would be useless.

"Will you cease your useless attempts and admit your loss?"

"YADA! Hell no! I'm going to finish this even if it kills me!" Natsu shouted in frustration. The dragon snorted.

"Sure, whatever you say kid. By the way, if you can't do this by the end of the hour, no lunch for you"

"Nani!?" The boy whined. "That's not fair!"

"I don't care. You have an hour, better finish fast, or just give up now and get me some apples, so you can have lunch" Mind in turmoil, Natsu weighed his options. On one hand, his pride would never admit defeat, but on the other hand, his stomach would never stay the same if he missed his lunch. His dilemma still sat in front of him, large and evil as ever. Igneel decided to help speed things up.

"We're having fish for lunch" That did it. Grumbling, Natsu finally gave in.

"Wakatayo! I get it! Fine! I'll go get your stupid apples!"

"Oh, and they had better be from the Amai Orchard" Natsu grit his teeth. That was at the other side of town! Even at top speed it would take him half an hour to get there.

"Or you could miss out on the fish…"

**"Karyuu No Hoko! Fire Dragon's Roar!" **Blazing hot fire cascaded from Natsu's mouth, aimed at Igneel's face, but the dragon simply arched his neck, easily moving out of the way.

"Nice try. I think you should get me an extra batch of apples. Take this basket and fill it up before I make you take two" Forcing himself to take the basket and leave before anything else happened, Natsu hopped off, springing from tree to tree.

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

"So, remind me exactly what job this is?" The triplets of the 'Take Over Trio' sat in a private car of a train, set up simply with a small table in the center and cushioned seats on it's sides. The view whizzed by, people, trees, mountains, and animals all a blur of colour. Mirajane bored, stared out the window; while her little brother and sister were playing the foreign card game 'Jian Hong Dian'. Normally, Mirajane would have joined them in for games like Go-fish, or Egyptian Ratscrew, or her favourite game, Slap Jack where you could slap everyone else's hand as hard as you wanted.

The game went like this: Basically you tried to get the cards to add up to ten by pairing up a card from your hand and one of the six cards laid out. Red cards were worth points, and black wasn't worth anything. King, Queen, and Jack had to match up. But unfortunately for the eldest of the trio, this also meant doing math, which she considered the most annoying thing on earth. Why couldn't everything be solved with a bit of smashing and violence? Other humans were so weird.

"Just a simple job of stopping some thief. He's been stealing from a couple nobles, so I thought 'Hey, we're really good at hiding and pouncing on people, why not? Easy money' Why?" Lisanna rolled her eyes.

"Well, for one, you kind of left in the middle of lunch. You NEVER do that. Even if you took mine, you would always chow down and eat the entire bar out of buis— OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!" Mirajane had put her little sister in a headlock and stretched her mouth to painful proportions. Elfman remained silent, contemplating on his next move, accustomed to the usual catfights that occurred between his sisters.

"Lisanna, your move next" He said in his usual baritone voice. Shoving her elder sister off, Lisanna swiped up the rest of the stray cards.

"Game set and match!" She proclaimed triumphantly. Her celebration was cut short when Mirajane attacked her with a successive attack of the tickles. The two fell onto the floor underneath the counter, laughing and gasping for breath, Lisanna fighting back with a rapid barrage of her own fingers. Elfman calmly gathered the cards in a pile and shuffled them, sliding them back into their case. A robotic pre-recorded voice crackled to life over the train's speakers.

"Attention all passengers. Please gather all your belongings and head to the closest exit point of your cars. Thank you for choosing the Madan Express, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your day" The girls stopped their brawl and the boy stood up. They gathered their belongings and hurried to the doors. Just managing to scrape past the closing doors, both girls fell to the floor panting and allowing a short rest, while their brother simply examined their mission scroll that had mysteriously appeared in his possession.

"So… Where do… We go next?" Mirajane asked between breaths. Elfman gazed at the scroll for a second longer, then raised his finger to their left.

"It says that the person who employed us is a man named Yataka Morbis," A pause. "Oh, and it also says he lives at the top of that hill" Mirajane groaned and slapped her face.

"More walking? But I'm still so tired from that train ride!" Lisanna snatched the scroll from her brother, trying to find something he had missed.

"Lemme see this… Oh wow! Says here he's also the president of my favourite apple company! Oh my god! Their apples are the juiciest, and completely natural! No added sweeteners or anything" Mirajane waved a hand in front of her sweating face.

"Yeah, sure, fine, whatever. But exactly what's the name of this company?"

"Amai Orchard's of course!" Stuffing the scroll into her pockets, Lisanna clapped her hands, making a loud smacking sound.

"Alright then, Nee-chan, Onii-chan, we should go now while it's still light out. C'mon, we have a long walk ahead of us" Elfman silently followed her, Mirajane whining and complaining the whole way.

* * *

**All good stories need a bit of slightly boring beginnings to really make the rest stand out, so without further ado, I present the official start of Natsu incorporating with Fairy Tail! YAY!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	8. Meeting Yataka Morbis

**Oh man I'm on my friend's grandma's farm, and she has the best view in the US so far that I've seen! They have blackberry bushes, mulberries, a garden with the most beautiful plants, and I can see horses and hear goats in the distance! There's even a lake, or the ocean! NOT SURE WHICH BUT STILL!**

**SOOOO COOOOOOL! –Quote from Jason, reporter of Sorcerers Weekly. **

**All right, this party is finally getting started! More action and story will now commence! Fairy Tail is here!**

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

"Gah! Yatto! Finally! We made it!" Mirajane fell on her back, lying in a wide area of grass. She waved her arms and flattened the grass to create a makeshift angel. Her brother and sister were just as tired, but deigned to stay on their feet, so as to not be anyway rude to the owner of the mansion at the top of the hill.

"Nee-chan! Get up! This isn't our house you know!" Snorting, the eldest sibling sat up.

"Sheesh, fine. But he said we could rest at his place didn't he?" Lisanna scowled and shook her head.

"It did say in the job description he would provide us a place to rest if the job lasted more than a day, but that doesn't mean you can dump yourself onto his lawn!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not proper manners!"

"Why's that?"

"We haven't even met him yet! At least ask him first!"

"You can do that, I'm just here to bang some heads"  
"Nee-chan…" Lisanna's voice dropped threateningly "If you're going to be like this, then I won't help you with your chores…" Mirajane paled.

"No please! Anything but that!" The elder sister was much too lazy to do her own laundry, make her own dinner, clean up the house and such, but being the kind little sister she was, Lisanna did those chores for her. Growing accustomed to this, Mirajane never bothered to learn how to do them herself. Lisanna had once carried out the very same threat and the results had been disastrous, or even hilarious depending on your point of view. Clothes had somehow transformed into the colour pink and sprouted frills, or some other cursed girly curse, dishes broke into millions of pieces, and the house had become even messier than before. Mirajane swore never to try anything like that again. Hopping on her feet, she got off the grass and stumbled back to the rocky path, apologizing and promising like it was prayer.

"GOMENASAI! I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again! I promise I'll be more careful next time!" Her sister nodded, satisfied. Elfman kept his gaze forward, the little episode tucked in a corner of his mind for later examination.

"Ikuyo. Let's go" He grunted. His siblings followed his lead and continued down the slithering snake pathway.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

**Swish**

**Swoosh**

**Fwooh!**

Natsu flew through the trees at speeds that would shame an Olympic runner, all while not really trying, his anger fueling his energy even more than usual.

"Baka dragon… Fetch my apples… I'll give you a second basket… You can skip lunch… GRAH! HE PISSES ME OFF!" Blasting flames from his mouth in rage, he flew farther faster in a matter of seconds, heading for the specified Amai Orchard.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

The trio had managed to reach the mansion without any other problems, and when they knocked, a maid answered the door and showed them in to a large living room. It was rather plain, two large leather sofas on opposite sides of a table, similar to the train's layout. Only when you glanced upwards, the most beautiful pictures of little naked angels flying and half-goat half-human men danced around. Men and women laughed, enjoying wine and delicious looking poultry, and the valley they preformed on vibrant with plants. Even Mirajane took a second to be impressed, and that was saying something. A man opened another large wooden door at the other side of the room and pranced in, hopping from foot to foot, humming in a shrill singsong voice. It seemed that most of the employers for Fairy Tail were required to be weirdoes by an unwritten rule.

"Thank you for coming! I am the master of this house! Mr. … Yeah! So glad to see the great mages of Fairy Tail accepting my request" Lisanna grinned and accepted the compliment with grace. Unlike her sister.

"Why thank you Mr—"

"DAMN RIGHT WE'RE THE GREATEST! AND YOU'D BETTER REMEMBER THAT!" Smile frozen on her face, Lisanna reached out, and promptly pinched Mirajane's cheeks, hard.

"OW, OW, OW! Sorry, sorry, I said sorry already, ow!" Mr. Morbis didn't seem to mind or care how rude she was; in fact, he seemed to welcome and enjoy it.

"Ohohoho! Of course! I chose only the best of the best! So about my request…" He sat on one couch and the siblings sat across form him.

"I wish for you three to take care of a certain apple thief. I do not care how you do it. Trap him, persuasion, putting him down, anything. So long as he stop taking MY apples" Mirajane leaned forward.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of this guy. And it won't come to killing, that's just disgusting" The president nodded.

"Excellante! FABULOOSE! Then, about your stay…" They discussed lodgings and how they would go about their duties for a good half hour, before Mr. Morbis dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"Now off with you! Rest up, then catch me my thief!"

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Natsu sniffed the air, trying to locate the exact direction of the orchard. He caught a whiff of a sweet, earthly smell, stopping to put his nose to the air, and followed the scent. His pace had shortened to several far leaps, then a sniff, and the cycle repeating itself. It wasn't long before he spotted the familiar lacrima charged fences…

* * *

(Elfman's POV)

The room was okay. It had a painting over the big bed, and another pretty big window with a view of the garden. Yeah. It was pretty big. Elfman wasn't one for excitement. He rarely liked to do anything, but his pride and sense of duty gave him the feeling he should protect his family, as was only honorable. His few joys consisted of watching his plants at home grow, his sisters fight/play, sleeping, eating, and if either other sibling asked him for something, he would do all in his power to do what they asked. Setting his suitcase onto his bed, he sighed. He would have preferred that they all been in the same room, but the mansion was so spacious, his sisters had immediately claimed the fancy rooms more to their taste. His was plain and simple, just how he liked it

**Knock, Knock**

"Elfman. Oi. We're supposed to have dinner with the Yataka dude, Lisanna said so. You coming or what?" Elfman mulled it over. He could refuse, as Mirajane had only asked if he wanted to go or not, meaning the choice was his, so he could just stay in his room and be alone. Or he could just go eat and watch for his sisters. He decided to do a bit of both.

"Yeah, I'll just grab some food and walk around the house. We can switch when you're done eating" Mirajane cocked an eyebrow and threw her thumb behind her head.

"You sure? A rich bastard like him should have some pretty decent food" Elfman shook his head, he had already made his decision and wasn't about to change it.

"I'll be back soon" Not wanting to see Lisanna upset that he hadn't gone to dinner, he opened the glass skylight, and hopped four stories down. Not even mildly surprised, Mirajane just shrugged and closed the door.

As the wind stung at Elfman's face, he estimated that he had fallen far enough.

**"Beast Arm: Stone Bull!" **Rocks and stone enshrouded his arm, magic enhancing his physical strength. As his face was about to smash the floor, his arm connected with it first. An explosion of dust erupted form the earth, a crater beneath the unhurt mage. Unfurling from his crouched position he got up and surveyed the damage. Then he sweat-dropped.

_'Uh oh. Lisanna's not going to be happy when she sees this hole in the floor' _He scanned his surroundings, making sure there was nobody looking before he dug his heels into the dirt and sprinted away.

The night air was cool and felt good to the boy. Exerting little effort, he ran for what seemed like forever, the billionaire's backyard non-too short of space. Enjoying the simplicity of the run and evening view of the starry. Elfman flexed his leg muscles, and jumped as high as he could go, he floated high and dropped slowly, gazing at the dimly lit moon casting her shining light over flora and fauna alike.

**Fwooh**

A flicker of light sparked at the edges of his vision, long enough to be sure it wasn't an illusion, but short enough to hide it's presence. A Will-o-the-Wisp. Elfman lightly landed on a tree's outstretched trunk. Where was that light…?

**Fwooh**

Left.

**Fwooh**

Right?

**Fwooh**

Uh…

**Fwooh, Fwooh, FWOOH**

The series of flares all pinpointed to a single location. Elfman crouched and hopped to the ground. He quickly tiptoed to another large tree. It seemed to be spurting fourth the bright lights. If these kept up, the whole forest would burn down. Weren't Will-o-the-Wisp's known for burning things? They were floating bits of fire after all. Cautiously, quietly, Elfman whispered

**"Beast Arm: Steel Bull" **He set his arm back, tightened his grip, crouched low, silently gave a powerful vault, and whipped his arm at the tree, intent on destroying the source of flame.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Finally. The orchard. He had already ran far enough, so comfortably nestling himself in a tree's arms, he tore a bite out of the closest apple. Ah~. Delicious. These were great. He spat out slightly burning apples seeds, but Natsu made sure they puttered out before causing any actual harm. This was the life... Not much could be better than this. Resting here forever wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe he should just fall asleep…

**Crick**

Natsu's eyes flew open, and purely out of instinct, he flung his body to the side.

**Smash**

What struck Natsu as an iron hand snapped the poor tree in half, where Natsu had been laying seconds ago. His eyes adjusted rapidly, due to the shocking adrenaline boost. When had it gotten so late? Cursing, Natsu regained his balance, landing on his hands, and flipping back to his feet. Where had this guy come from? Whatever, it didn't matter. He had attacked first, so he should be ready to ne attacked back.

_'If I don't finish this quickly, then I'll be in a world for a world of pain when I get back to Igneel' _Natsu shuddered at the thought of it. He needed to win, fast.

* * *

(Elfman's POV)

This guy was good. Too good. Elfman was losing this battle and he knew it. They had been at it for less than a minute, and Elfman had received many a scar and burn from this mysterious intruder's fire attacks. Blocking a flaming kick, tried to shove him backwards, but the figure jumped a smaller distance, twirled on his hands, and his feet twisted into a flaming wheel, heat and impact pushing Elfman instead. Roaring in defiance, Elfman punched the floor, splitting earth in two. But again, the acrobatic man pushed of the ground and spun in a cartwheel in the air, pounding against Elfman's unprotected face.

Forced to the floor, Elfman put his hands on his knees and tried to get up despite the barrage pummeling against him, but failed, succeeding in only giving himself an even worse beating. He fell to the floor, unable to summon the energy to even stay awake. There was nothing he could do if the man decided to finish him off. Elfman clenched his fists. He had been unable to complete the job he had been assigned with, but worse still; he would die without being able to protect his sisters. He waited for his death, but instead, the figure bent down, SMILED, and said

"Nice punch ya got!"

But the figure disappeared, as Elfman's vision turned black and the night blended with his vision, concealing whatever might've happen next. The last colour he had seen though, was a streak of silver hair…

* * *

**Well, I'm pretty sure most of you can guess what happens next, so it's not really a big cliffhanger, but if you don't know, then I guess it's better than I thought! More action and story in the next chapters! MUHAHAHAHHAHA!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


	9. Will-O-The-Wisp

**Hmm… As I thought, Code Geass is the best anime. Currently rewatching it, and I still love it to bits. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ANIME TO EVERYONE. ROMANCE, SCI-FI, ACTION, ADVENTURE, ORGANIZATION, PHYSCOLOGY, CERTAIN ALIEN POWERS, TWISTS AND TURNS AT EVERY EPISODE, MUST WATCH! At the end of season one, it may seem like the story is all screwed up, but I promise you, it has to be like that to make the ending of season two the best in any anime. Again, MUST WATCH! TILL THE VERY END! Also, I updated the summary because I thought it would be more fitting, and more interesting. I hope you guys agree**

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

"TEME! Bastard! Back off!" A flying dash of silver collided with Natsu, sending him crashing into the tree behind him. "Oi, Elfman! Get a hold of yourself! We'll gang up on him, and get the reward money!" Mirajane blinked.

"You didn't get knocked out did you?" She poked at the lifeless boy with her finger. Then she kicked him. "Wow, you were pretty useless against him. Whatever, not like it matters, I'll just take care of this guy myself!" She turned to the other shadowy boy, and glared.

"Surrender or get beat up! You choose!" Jumping into the air, Mirajane aimed a kick at Natsu's face. Falling to his knees and avoiding the attack, the boy hopped back to his feet, fists blazing. Mirajane managed to twist her body to the side to avoid the full brunt of the blow, but her clothes were still singed and her stomach received the same bruises as Elfman.

_'Kasai!? Fire!? Around his hands!? Impossible!' _The eldest of the Strauss family whizzed by, and utilized her feet to rebound back at Natsu. She was met with a spinning roundhouse kick, but this time she grabbed his legs and pushed them over, landing behind him. Quickly she struck, and planted three blows, but the forth was deflected, and Natsu came at her with his hands again. He struck a blow of his own, but she quickly recovered from that and struck him in the shins.

Immediately, both were sprawling on the floor, nursing their injured legs.

_'What the hell is her/his body made of!?' _Mirajane had attacked a natural weaker part of the human body, but she felt as though she had slammed into Gildarts. Steel poles couldn't compare. Natsu felt as if he was dying. That was dirty, attacking the shins!

"Just who are you?" The figure kept attacking, ignoring the question. "Well then, I'll just have to beat the answer out of you wont I?" She sounded cocky, but in truth she was just barely keeping up.

_'Time to get a little serious' _**"Satan Soul!" **

Her body shimmered as her she went over a series of changes. Her feet and hands became claws; her back sprouted jet black bat-like wings, her silvery hair stood up, and her face cracked slightly.

"Eat this!" Gathering a dark ball of energy in her palm, she threw it at Natsu, but he backed up quickly. The energy ball exploded upon contact with the ground.

"Keh!" Mirajane grunted. "Well then how bout this!" Four more of the same spheres appeared in the air, all hurtling toward Natsu. Hiding behind trees, and leaping at the last moment, he once again managed to avoid serious injury. Mirajane roared furiously.

"STAY STILL DAMNIT!" Natsu wasn't about to listen to such a request.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

What was this insane devil? She was attacking him left and right, with those black ball thingies. What did he do? Okay sure, the man with the same silver hair had fought him and he had beaten him up, but he had attacked first. So why was the lady so angry? Maybe she was drunk?

**Blam**

That was another explosion. Okay, he could make stuff blow up too!

**"Fire Dragon's Roar!" **Pure heat jetted from his mouth, and he blew with all his might.

"What the—!?" The flames engulfed the she-devil, and everything in the immediate area was burned. Except for that other guy, Natsu had made sure not to harm him.

_'Ha! I got her!' _But when he got closer to inspect the damage, the claw shot out of the smoke, and nearly got a hold of Natsu's neck. He ducked at shot forward, intent on head butting her. But he passed through the smoke and landed on his face.

"Pwhhfrrggg" He cried in surprise, mouth full of dirt and all sorts of crawling things.

"Ha! Nice try! But you'll have to do better than that you stupid fire mage!" The offended boy indignantly pointed at Mirajane, yelling curses and taunts of his own. But the string of words became meaningless, as he could not speak with his mouth full.

"HRMREFURGERGR!" Mirajane answered with her foot in his face.

"No idea what your talking about!" Retaliating with his own punches, their fight resumed, only with more insults and anger. Throwing caution to the wind, Mirajane tossed Natsu into the sky, and flew after him.

"Try to run away from this, you apple thief!" Thief? Oh, that must be why she was so angry with him. He knew he shouldn't have just spat out seeds and told everyone where was like an idiot! In thought, Natsu didn't realize that the devil was already upon him. She attacked him with her fists and feet; battering him hard enough he stayed in the air each time he was struck. With the final blow, Natsu's face was painfully reunited with the earth.

"Don't even think about running away now, your in no condition to be—"

**"Fire Dragons Wing!" **Natsu soared after Mirajane, arms enwrapped in flame, but this time they left a trail, making him look like… A Dragon?

**Wham**

Natsu hand crushed her stomach. Mirajane swore. She had been too distracted by the illusion this person had somehow created and allowed herself to be hit with an easily evadible attack. Natsu aimed so that when he struck, he could fling her back to the other person, simultaneously getting behind her. He couldn't believe he had hit here with that. He was so slow, and had only just learned the move. Weird, maybe he was just stronger than he thought.

"HAHAHA! That'll teach you to mock me! I'm the strongest! I am—BLEH!" He had just crashed into another tree, his tender flesh still sore from the fight. And it seemed there was a hive's nest in the tree… Which he had knocked it down?

**BZZZZZZ**

"CHICKSHOU! NANDEHDAYOH!?"

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

Urgh. That bastard. She had been too careless, and therefore defeated. She could hear him yelling something on the distance, but it was if her ears were stuffed to the brim with wool. What was that guy yelling? Were those bees? She forced herself to get up, and ran after Natsu. This was going to be somewhat difficult.

She chased him for quite a while, from time to time losing him, only to find him again due to screams of agony. She succeeded in following him out of the orchard, but Natsu gave a mighty hop, and disappeared over the fence, into the night.

"Keh. Teme. Bastard. Running away from a fight like that"

"Nee-san, your not exactly in the best condition yourself you know"

"Yeah Elfman? What of it? I could still kick your ass in a fight" Elfman walked out of the shadows, blood from his wounds mostly hardened and pale against his tanned skin. "I know. You gave me enough time to rest to come get you. I know you don't need any help," he said quickly "But I need to lean on someone's shoulder to get back" Strictly this wasn't true. Elfman would have been fine on his own, but he wanted to help his sister. Naturally, her pride and tsundere personality would refuse any help offered to her, but being her brother, he knew that if he phrased his sentence the right way, he could convince his sister of anything to a certain degree. It was quite a handy trick.

"So help me?" Mirajane huffed, and offered her arm.

"Fine. Hurry up, lets go" Elfman took her arm, and just walked, as his sister tried to hide the fact that she was the one doing all the leaning.

"…Thanks" She whispered. Her brother was silent, until…

"Hai, Onee-san"

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

OH NO! What could she do? She had just let Mirajane run off by herself, and she hadn't even tried to go with her! If only she had just ignored those Will-o-the-wisps…

_(Flashback/About an hour ago…) _

_"Delicious! This is great!" Mirajane grabbed at random pieces of nearby meat, shoveling them down her throat and swallowing inhumanely fast. Tankards of sweet apple juice were emptied in seconds, the chefs working under Mr. Morbis having their work cut out for them. The president of Amai Orchards emitted a hearty laugh and twirled in a circle in his toes. _

_"I'm glad you enjoy it! I have some of the top cooks in Fiore working for me!" Of course, polite as ever, Lisanna used a fork and knife, carefully cutting her meat into bite size pieces. With great effort she managed to control anger, and scolded_

_"Nee-chan, could you please eat a little slower? And stop spilling juice all over the table! Show some manners!" _

_"What?" Mirajane answered. "I'm not causing trouble am I? And I washed my hands before dinner! … I think" The younger sister sighed. _

_"Why can't you ever learn that you can't act however you want in someone else's house?" She waved a drumstick around the air, propped her feet onto the table, and leaned back. _

_"Why not? We're doing a mission for them aren't we? And he's treating us to dinner, so shouldn't we enjoy the food?" About to throw her chair in Mirajane's face, she stopped when she heard sounds of explosions and yelling. Mirajane wasted no time in jumping out of her seat and rushing to the door. _

_"Yoshah! All right! Time to beat up the bad guys!" _

_"Nee-chan, wait for me!" _

_"Gambattene! Good luck!" _

_They rushed past the beginnings of the orchard's apple trees, Mirajane happy and hyper, Lisanna worried for Elfman and quite scared of the trees. They seemed to laugh at her in the dark. _

_"Mira-neechan? I think we should go back and get a light lacrima. It's kind of dark, and I can barely see in—" _

**_Poof_**

_"Kyaaaaaah!" A glitter of fire zoomed past the frightened girl's face, then another, and another, and another. The youngest of the Strauss family had never had much tolerance to scary ghost stories. Mirajane teased her endlessly, and she would hide behind Elfman in fright. He never seemed to mind ghosts. She had always suspected that in some corner in the world, evil spirits were ready to take your soul and eat your body. But now, she had been confronted face to face with her fears, and was unable to cope with it. _

_"GHOOOOOST!" She screamed and ran in the opposite direction back to the mansion. Mirajane didn't even notice._

(Flashback Over/Present time)

"Oi! Lisanna!" Her name called, the girl turned and saw Mirajane leaning on Elfman's shoulder, both battered and tired, but otherwise okay. Lisanna beamed, and ran to her sister's side, helping steady her.

"Gomenasai! I'm sorry, I didn't help at all, and I just ran away like a coward! I could have helped! I'm so ashamed!" Mirajane shook her head.

"It's okay, I stopped him for now. He'll be back soon though, and we'll be ready then" Lisanna's eye's widened.

"You couldn't beat him?"

"Urusai! Shut up! I wasn't ready! I'll get him next time"

"But still—"

"Lisanna?" It was Elfman. "Were you worried about us? Did you hope we got back safely?" Lisanna pouted and harrumphed.

"Mochiron! Of course I did silly!" This time Elfman gave a smile and ruffled her hair.

"Then that's enough for me" Lisanna blushed and smiled as well. They walked back to the enormous mansion, a maids and butlers hurrying to welcome them back and ushering them into the medical room.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

That was close! He had almost been caught on the way back from the orchard. The she-devil had almost caught him, and he had had to run for a mile before she even tired. The hornet's stings were making him itch like crazy. He wouldn't be able to go to sleep easy tonight. He hadn't even gotten the apples for Igneel… Oh god. Igneel… What kind of hellish punishment would he have to go through the next day!?

_'I'M SO DEAD!' _

* * *

**So, Natsu meets the Strauss siblings. He has met the devil, the demon arm, but ohohohoh… I can't wait to write out the next couple chapters… I have a little turn that I'm sure that you guys are going to love…**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD **


	10. Eavesdropping

**Okay guys, for me, my school years are about to restart, so as you have undoubtedly noticed over the past week or so, I shall be unable to update so frequently. So sorry guys. But enough about me. Commence story! **

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

**Puff**

**Huff**

**Puff**

Natsu kept a rigorous pace the whole time he ran back. That devil-girl could catch up to him in a second and he was taking no chances. As soon as he spotted the red mountain of his father he tackled him as best as a human could tackle something forty times his size.

"OI! TOU-SAN! DAD! WAKEY WAKEY!" Still sluggish from slumber, Igneel merely rolled over and half-heartedly swatted his son away. His strength as a dragon was still mighty, and Natsu was smacked into a boulder, creating a small crater the shape of a child. Not even fazed, Natsu clambered out and kept jumping on Igneel. More irritated this time; Igneel turned to the side, and squashed his excited child. Again, not discouraged in the slightest, Natsu wriggled out and yelled in his father's ear.

"HELLO? ANYONE THERE! SAY SOM—" Igneel promptly squished him under his claws. Natsu squeezed out of his grip and laughed.

"So you're awake!" Igneel grumbled, still grumpy from being woken so rudely.

"Yes, thanks to you. Do you have ANY idea what TIME it is?" Natsu stroke his chin, then beamed and answered

"About midnight!" Lashing at him with his tail, Natsu utilized the training he had been given and hopped onto his father's head.

"Hey! Guess what? I fought this devil lady! She was super strong, and I almost beat her. But she almost beat me and I had to run away! Ahahahahah!" The boy had planned to ease this part into their conversation, and escape punishment. "So… Uh… How was the fish? Is there anymore?" Of course, it didn't work.

"You were nearly beaten? By whom?" Natsu's eyes tiptoe to the side.

"Well… By… A girl…"

"And…?" Natsu stared into Igneel's eyes from atop his forehead.

"What do you mean 'and'? Isn't that bad?" Igneel snorted, smoke engulfing Natsu face, causing the boy to cough and fall on his backside.

"You really think the opposite gender are so weak? I must disagree. Even if you are human, women can be just as strong or even stronger. Why do you think otherwise? Well trust me son, if you've ever seen an angry dragon mother trying to protect her children, you would change your mind in an instant. I doubt even I could handle that" Natsu's eye's widened.

"Uso! No way! I don't believe it!" The dragon bellowed with laughter.

"Believe what you will child, it's the truth. I hope you will have a different opinion in the future" Reluctantly, Natsu nodded and stood back up.

"Yoshah! Let's do this! Tou-san! Teach me to get stronger! Oh, and by the way, I did that wing move you showed me the other time. It was kind of weak, but yours was really strong. Could you show me what I did wrong?"

"Do it again" Natsu got into his stance and roared

**"Fire Dragon's Wings!" **He rushed at the tree and swung his fist. Demolishing its base, the tree toppled over. The fire was still burning strong, and it started to catch onto other trees, until Igneel smothered the flames with his forepaws.

"You still haven't mastered burning only your target? You have a lot to learn" Natsu looked at the ground dejectedly. But what Igneel didn't say was how impressed he was that Natsu had already learned how to use the 'Fire Dragon's Wing'. It wouldn't do to inflate his already huge ego.

"Gomen" Shaking his head, Igneel waved away the apology.

"It's fine, you'll learn later on. Now, to help you stand up to this female…" A cold feeling crept over Natsu, causing him to involuntarily shudder.

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

"Okay! Last week will not be like today! We WILL capture that little thief tonight!" Lisanna sighed. It had been like this for the past week. Mira-nee had politely 'asked' them to just leave it all to her, although to the younger sister, 'commanded' would have been much more an apt word.

"Mira-nee, exactly how will this be any different from the past week?" The elder sister laughed manically.

"I shall tell you dear little sister! For the past week, I have been going out on my own and coming back late at night. Why? Because I was planting these little babies!" She pulled a lacrima out of her sleeve; an orb of energy that did whatever it was created to do. This specific one was designed to explode when something entered its sensor perimeter.

"Ta-da! It's the explosion Lacrima! I managed to finally place these all over this guys yard! You two have no idea how hard it is to memorize all the places I already put them and then put them everywhere. I even set off a few! You should feel proud of me!" Elfman clapped slowly. Being Elfman, the Lisanna had no idea if this was actual sarcasm or not, but Mirajane laughed and enjoyed it anyway. "Thank you! Thank you! Hahaha!" Then she coughed and continued on.

"Ahem. Anyway, so yeah, I put the Lacrima all around the property, and now, if the thief tries to come close… Boom! Any questions?" Elfman raised his hand. Mirajane pointed at him.

"Hai! Yes! You! Little brother!" Elfman turned to face the window.

"Nee-san. Did you tell the employees who work on growing the apples about the Lacrima?"

…

…

…

A moment later, a scream, a flash of light, then—

**BOOM**

Mirajane and Lisanna sweat dropped, while Elfman remained as deadpan as ever.

"Well… We'll just have to tell everyone to stay out later. They should know to stay out by now" Lisanna smacked her face. Her sister never thought anything through. Hurriedly, Mirajane finished her presentation.

"So. The three of us by ourselves will be patrolling the area, with these maps that I have drawn out. They show the only paths you could take without making anything explode. Each of us will carry an explosive lacrima so when we find him, we'll rendezvous at that spot. Do you guys understand now?" She handed out the maps, obviously hand drawn. The squiggles and marks were barely recognizable. But it was better than nothing. Lisanna shrugged and placed hers in her back pocket.

"I suppose we should alert Mr. Morbis to our plan?" Mirajane nodded.

"You're right Elfman. Before anyone else gets hurt, its better to go now and—"

**BOOM**

Another explosion. They rushed out of the room to find Mr. Morbis so they could pass on the responsibility.

* * *

(Igneel's POV)

Natsu lay on the ground, drenched in perspiration. His breath came hard and fast, and Igneel was thoroughly enjoying it. The past week, the dragon had increased his son's 'chores and exercises' threefold to prepare him for this girl that was stronger than he was. Natsu had hated every second of it. But even he had to admit that the results were apparent. Muscles had formed over every corner of his body, his stamina increased, and as for his dragon slaying powers, he had properly learned to use the 'Fire Dragon's Wing' and a few other secret dragon moves that should never be used under normal circumstances. Ever.

"So, did you enjoy this past week son?"

"S-screw y-you p-p-pops. I-I'll get you for this o-one day" Igneel chuckled.

"If you say so. I think this should be enough. For now. If you lose… well, I'll have some more fun for the next month…" Natsu clenched his fists, and swore to himself, there and then. He would win, or go back hell would be waiting. Igneel guessed what the boy was thinking and smiled. Good. He expected no less from his child. "Rest up son. Tonight, you shall return to the orchard. But for now, you had better get some sleep" Without further ado, Natsu conked out, his snores disturbing nearby wildlife.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

Tonight would be the time. When she would meet this mysterious person that had defeated Elf-niichan, and escaped Mira-nee, even hurting her when he ran.

"I'm so not looking forward to this… I just hope Elf-niichan and Mira-nee will be close by…" Before she did anything big, or anything that she would consider life threatening, she liked to splurge a bit. Though she probably wouldn't die, it could still take hours before he was found, or even the whole night. Who was to say he would show up tonight? So she would take a bath.

Thankfully, Mr. Morbis had been kind enough to lend them the use of all the utilities in his house, which were a lot. From what Lisanna had seen from her stay, in the few places she had gone, their had been barber shops, large bathrooms, empty bedrooms, storage units, and had even glimpsed a pool that took up a whole floor. But the real prize was the bathhouse she had spotted.

There was nobody else there, and that was how she liked it. Peace and quiet. Nobody yelling, no messes to clean up, and nothing that might fly at her face. It was all well and good back home, but when she needed to rest and relax, that had to be changed.

"Ah…" Settling herself into the heated water, she exhaled in content. This was the best. Then she noticed the little waterway that led to the outside. Squealing in excitement, she swam out, and let the small Lazy pool sweep her outside.

The view was amazing. The mansion of Mr. Morbis was built on top of the tallest hill in the small village. And that gave her the best front row seat. Against the contrast of the pitch black night sky, the lights danced in the sky, twinkling, talking, laughing. The pregnant moon outshone them all, showering everything under her gaze with a dim, distinct light. Whichever star she laid her eyes on, the neighboring star beckoned for her attention even more.

"This is the life…"

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

It was time to go. He was being sent on a mission by his father to see if he was ready or not. He couldn't fail. Especially if he would have to return to see Hell again… Natsu shook his head.

_'Don't even think about stuff like that about right now' _Slapping his cheeks, the boy reestablished his determination.

"Time to leave already huh? Be sure to remember what I told you. No need to rush, or do everything at once. Your attack should be like the winds. May the skies guide and protect you" Disciple bowed respectfully to his master, and master to disciple. Then son attacked his father with a hug.

"Even if you tried to kill me during training, I still love you Tou-san" Igneel gave a small laugh.

"That's good to know. Gambattene! Good luck son" Natsu saluted, hugged his father once more, than gave a powerful leap into the trees, disappearing form sight.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

"Ah… I think I've fallen in love with that bath…" Lisanna fumbled with her suitcase, finally managing to punch in the correct code. "I think I'll go again with Elf-niichan tomorrow if that guy doesn't show… Huh?" Inside the briefcase, was black, black, black, shorts, tights, weights, and all sorts of boyish clothing.

"Uh oh. Did Mira-nee take my suitcase? Good thing she's only staying four rooms away" Getting up and rolling the mistaken suitcase behind her, she strode over to her elder sister's room. "Nee-chan—" She began, and was about to knock on the door, but stopped when she heard her sister talking.

"…And I have reason to believe he is the one we are looking for. This guy can shoot fire out of his body and is crazy durable. No way a normal person can deal and take punches like him. I have a genius plan to capture him, so you don't need to worry too much, but it would be so much easier if you got here and dealt with him. So hurry up Gramps cause I don't wanna—" Lisanna didn't hear a word more. She had already ran off.

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

Mirajane looked out of the door cautiously. There was nobody there. Had it been her imagination? Yeah, probably, she just needed to rest and— She looked down, and saw a suitcase. With her clothes in it. Weird. Whatever.

* * *

**Ah… Listening to some of my favourite songs from 3 years ago… So nice… Reply by Iyaz… Then kinda-sorta re-discovering and artist i know about. There was this awesome thunderstorm last night, and I went outside to see the lighting. And hear the thunder. Or see the thunder. Don't make that mistake guys. Would have danced in the rain, but I sprained my ankle. Boohoo. More Strauss and Natsu in the next chapters!**

- **Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD **


	11. Rematch

**Holy Crap. I'm sorry that took so long. School kind of blew up in my face, then there are my two different sports that take up five days a week, and etc, etc, etc. This was kind of a rewrite of Will-O-the-Wisp, with similar story, but it was necessary for the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

"Alright. Does everybody remember the plan?" It was evening, the day they would put their plan into action. Lisanna and Elfman nod. They both understood how crucial it is to stop the apple thief here and now. With the strength and power he had shown the last time, it would be dangerous if he were just let go.  
"Hai, Onee-sama" Elfman turns around, and leaping off to his section of the forest. Mirajane turns to her younger sister, who seems to have a newfound interest for shiny apples, as she had staring very intently at it while Mirajane had been talking.

"Lisanna, I want you to be especially careful, okay? If you even think you spot something suspicious, throw you lacrima okay? Elfman and I will run as fast as we can" Mirajane reached to gently grip her sister's shoulder in promise, but Lisanna took a step back, a smile set on her face.

"Of course Mira-nee! Don't worry about me! Just focus on catching that little thief!" Mira agreed awkwardly, noting her sister's change in attitude.

"Of course" She turned, and she too leaped off. Lisanna was less energetic than her siblings. Walking away, Lisanna pushed a bush past, and sauntered off.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

**Gulp**

Dipping his hands into the river, he took a last sip of cooling water. He was ready, and began with a sprint, slowly speeding up to a jog. Natsu ran weaved through his home's garden. At this rate, he wouldn't arrive until midnight, and he still had a ways to go. As he rushed to face the silver haired girl again, bits and pieces of the past week flashed through his mind. Things his father had taught him, things he had discovered himself, and a bit of both.

_(Flashback/The past week…)_

_"Nani? How does that work?" Natsu struggles to understand what Igneel has just told him. The dragon raises his scaly eyebrow._

_"Is it really so hard to believe child? Don't you shoot flames from your mouth and fists and feet on a regular basis?" Natsu shakes his head._

_"Yeah… But that's different…" Igneel isn't surprised at how Natsu is unable to comprehend such simple things. To Natsu, some things were right, the others, wrong. End of story. _

_"Nandehmonai. Never mind. It doesn't matter if you get it or not, if you can just channel your energy, and release it there, then it'll be fine" Giving up on understanding, Natsu shrugs and gets into his stance._

**_"Fire Dragons Flame Elbow!" _**_His elbow jetted out a furious uncontrolled flame, causing him to smack his face and send himself into the ground. Igneel gave a hearty laugh._

_"HAHAHAHAH! It's so much fun to teach you things!" _

**_"Fire Dragons Flame Elbow!" _**_This time, Natsu flew out of the hole he had made, and almost hit his father, but Igneel twisted his neck and easily evaded it. Upon landing, Natsu stomped his foot._

_"Damnit Tou-san! You can just twist you neck and avoid everything! That's not fair!" _

_"That's why your learning Dragon Slaying magic isn't it? To make everything fair? Then stop whining, you have much more to learn" Igneel turned around, and Natsu had a sneaky idea._

_"**Fire Dragons Wing!" **Jumping above Igneel's neck, he vaulted up, and came falling down, hands still ablaze. Of course, Igneel once again dodged the attack, but this time, before the flames on his hands died, he cried_

**_"Fire Dragons Claw!" _**_Fire erupted from his foot, and he was redirected to Igneel's face. _

**_Smack_**

_It hit. It actually hit. Igneel had been so surprised at this unorthodox move, he had stopped to stared in awe. But even though he had been hit, he wasn't a dragon for nothing. It stung a little, but Igneel bit Natsu's foot gently, and tossed him down. Rolling, Natsu reduced the impact and hopped back to his feet. _

_"HA! I GOT YOU! I FINALLY GOT YOU! YES!" Igneel rolled his eyes._

_"Yes, yes. You may have been able to hit me then, but I still could have killed you afterwards" But of course, Natsu wasn't listening, instead he was dancing in circles singing_

_"I hit you I hit you! I finally can hit you!" Igneel blew flames at his son, but Natsu cart wheeled away. _

_"We still have much to do, and that move wont work again without the element of surprise! Now keep up! Break time's over!" _

(Flashback over/present time….)  
Natsu chuckles. On his own time, he had tried to perfect the move, but it hadn't worked so well afterwards. But his efforts still bore fruit.

**"Fire Dragons Claw!" **Using the fiery explosion of power, Natsu was faster than an Olympic runner, with a thousand times as much stamina.

"DEVIL HERE I COME!" He screamed to the afternoon sun.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

Mirajane knew. She knew that her little sister was hiding something, but she didn't know what. Ever since she had heard Mirajane recording her message on the letter, she had kept her distance. It wasn't like she was trying to, but every time she saw her in the halls, bathroom, wherever, she would shy take another route, or just not speak up. They saw each other at dinner, breakfast, and lunch from time to time, but that was about it.

"This can't go on forever…" She told herself. "Eventually, we'll catch him, and it'll be over…" But would it? From the way Mirajane had been talking about it, it had seemed to be pretty serious. What if… What if…

**Rustle… Rustle, rustle…**

Lisanna whirled to her right, knees bent, senses sharp. Then a mouse ran out. Lisanna breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello little mouse. How are you today?" The mouse squeaked, and ran back. Another rustle came from the bushes. Lisanna just continued walking, determined not to be frightened by every little thing. Then she saw the shadows of the trees elongate, and her back grew warm. She turned around and saw a boy with pink hair fall from the sky, hands on fire.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Utilizing the power from his feet, he jetted forth, careful not to set anything on fire, but it was a challenge. Often he had to stop to put out a flame here or there, and it slowed him down. But overall, he made much progress. It was only sunset, and he could smell that woman nearby. Aiming for the nearest tree, he landed with a thump on his feet, and lay flat on the branch. His heart was thumping in his ears, body tense, ready to move, just waiting for his rematch. But this time, the results wouldn't be the same.

There she was, from what Natsu could tell. All black and glittery silver same as the last time. There was a rustle, and all the pent up energy Natsu was storing nearly made him jump out of his tree. But it was just a field mouse. The she-devil was just as surprised, but she bent down to pet and talk to it… Hmm… To talk to a mouse… Being a devil must be lonely… But never mind about that. She was distracted. So Natsu acted. Silent as he possibly could, he whispered

**"Fire Dragons Fist"** And jumped. Wind whistling in his ears, he raised his fists, and screamed in triumph, the devil girl looking up and— Wait! It wasn't the devil-girl! Even though they smelled and looked the same, they weren't the same person. He put out his flame and tried to warn the girl and get out of the way, but he was in the air. There was no way to dodge, and even if he yelled there wasn't any time for her to—

**Wham**

Suddenly Natsu could feel his body change direction and he blasted back to Earth. He felt heavy, but it still wasn't as bad as when Igneel sat on him and told him to do a push up. Groaning and swearing, Natsu strained his muscles, flexed, and managed to shove the weight off of him. Then he got a clear view of his assailant. It was that spiky haired guy.

"Onii-chan!" The girl cried. She didn't immediately attack with anger, instead looking to her brother with worry, which further enforced the feeling Natsu had the wrong girl.

"I'm fine!" He called back. "Find Mirajane! Go!" The girl hesitated, but did as she was told, running off in the opposite direction. The fire mage tried to offer an apology, but before he could, the boy's stone arm smashed the tree beside him, and the shrapnel forced Natsu to back off.

"You. You will pay for trying to harm my family"

* * *

(Elfman's POV)

Tsuyoi. Strong. Much stronger than last time. How had he become so much better in such a short time? Elfman grunted and hopped back to avoid another flaming punch. But that wasn't to say he hadn't been training for this moment too. In order to protect Mirajane and Lisanna, he had been secretly working out, running, lifting, and sparing with his elder sister from time to time. Even with experience was on his side, while he was admittedly a little stronger; the kid's style of fighting was still too earnestly simple.

**"Fire Dragons Wings!" **Trails of fire were left behind his swinging arms, which were a pain, because even if dodged, the heat was still uncomfortable, adding them all up, Elfman's clothes were starting to smoke. Elfman twisted down, stabbed the dirt, and flung a handful of dirt at the boy's eyes. Natsu's eyes widened and he bent his back as if he were doing limbo, avoiding the attack. His relief was cut short, when Elfman was suddenly sailing down at Natsu, stone arm aimed at his head.

**"Fire Dragons Roar!" **The column of fire pushed Elfman off course, and taking advantage of this, Natsu rolled to the side, ready to attack again. Elfman anticipated the counter, and struck the ground with this arm when he landed. Cracks, rumbling, and flying debris unbalanced Natsu. This time, Elfman wasted no time with jumping in the air, he had already been proved to that the boy could move fast. Instead he opted for the less powerful, but swifter move. Knocking him out with a punch while he restrained him.

But Natsu wasn't making it any easier for him, squirming and struggling away, annoying Elfman with not-so-harmless fire attacks. Elfman grabbed Natsu's feet but the boy just yelled

**"Fire Dragons Flame Elbow!" **span on the palms of his hand like a top, and Elfman was forced to let go before his own barf was splattered onto his face. Elfman groaned. This boy was proving to be much more a nuisance than expected. Great. If he didn't finish before Mirajane got here, she would be—

A large log impacted with Natsu's face, and blood spurted.

"Whoops. Did I hit him too hard?" Elfman tried to look up, but his lunch was almost lost from the effort.

"Nee-san… I…" Trying to offer some excuse before the usual abusive insults, but surprisingly, she just shook her head.  
"It's fine. I could barely take care of him even after he fought with you last time remember? Whenever you feel better, feel free o help me kick his ass" Elfman nodded, from shock or in an effort not to throw up, he didn't know.

"ITEH! That hurt a lot you damn monster!" Mirajane put a hand to her mouth and laughed.

"Monster? Oh please, I'm not that good! Compliment me more!" Natsu bared his teeth and growled.

"I'll beat the crap out of you!" Shrugging, the eldest of the Strauss siblings smiled evilly.

"I'd like to see you try"

**"Fire Dragons Roar!" **

**"Satan Soul!" **

Mirajane shot to the magenta sky, perfectly content as lord of the sky, but Natsu blood was boiling, so even though he knew the risks, he gave a leap, and engaged in combat in the devil's territory.

* * *

**I can't promise that the other stories will have a shorter wait time, but I can promise to work on it when time allows me to do so. I need to work on my promise keeping, but Lisanna plays an important part to this series. Not telling. **

**-****Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD **


	12. The Thunderstorm

**Dun, DUN, DUN! Lisanna meets Natsu! Finally! BUT I'M GONNA HAVE LISANNA AND NATSU SLEEP TOGETHER! AHAHAHAHA!**

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

This guy—! He had gotten so much stronger! She had wondered how Elfman had still been beaten even with all the training they had gone through together. Despite her professional demeanor, she smiled. She was actually looking forward to a challenge, and she got the feeling he was too.

"Hahaha! You've gotten a lot better haven't you?" She ducked to the right, and kicked the figure away, into the moonlight, and she gasped. It was definitely the same fighting style, same size… so why?

"Hey! Elfman! Are you sure this is the guy?" Elfman grunted.

"`Course I am! Why wouldn't he—" He got a good look at Natsu. "Impossible! He's just a kid, how could he have fought us? He looks younger than I do!" Natsu couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could tell they were confused.

_'I guess they noticed how much stronger I am now'_

"What do we do?" Elfman asked his sister.

"Grr… Child or no, he is still a thief, and we still have our mission. So we still have to defeat him!" Mirajane soared higher into the sky, and beckoned for Natsu.

"Come! I shall beat you down!" Natsu recognized a challenge when he saw one, and jumped into the sky, aided by his new technique.

**"Fire Dragons Claws!" **Spinning, Natsu lifted himself to his opponent, and brought his feet crashing down. Mirajane blocked, and winced. She shoved his attack away, and punched back. Natsu grabbed her hand, and spun around bringing his own fist around. Mirajane blocked again with her other arm, and they kept exchanging blows in this position, but Mirajane was doing most of the work, keeping them both afloat.

She had the advantage with her wings, so she may as well use them. Managing to shove him back to earth, Mirajane chased him, intending to land another blow when he landed. Too quick, Natsu rolled to the side, counterattacking with a punch.

**"Fire Dragons Fist!" **Still regaining her balance, Mirajane was unable to put her guard up in time and was knocked back.

"Yatah! Yes! I got her!" Mirajane threw boulders at him in anger.

"I'm not finished yet!" Tossing more chunks of stones into the air, Mirajane hid behind them, flitting from one rock to the other. Natsu destroyed the first few, but then started to dodge. Mirajane jumped out and slammed him in the back.

"Gotcha!" She cried. But she yelped in surprise when Natsu caught her hand before she withdrew, and threw her in front of him. Natsu landed, but immediately held his head.

"ITEH! That hurts!" Mirajane landed on her feet, hands in front, about to sprint forward. She blasted from her spot, kicking up dirt and debris, aiming for Natsu. Noticing in time, Natsu jumped, and stuck out his chest, arms and legs falling behind him.

_'Time to show just how much I've grown' _Getting into a ready position, he yelled

**"Fire Dragons Claws!" **Leaping into the air, Natsu went as high as he could, and when he couldn't go any higher, he let his spell go, slowly rising, until Gravity called him back. He fell, but Mirajane wasn't going to wait. She jumped after him, and flapped her wings to catch up.  
**"Fire Dragons Elbows!" **Rocketing back down, Natsu was ready to meet with Mirajane, and Mirajane was grinning with excitement. They crashed in an explosion of power, flames, and energy. Both mages were pushed back, but they relentlessly went at each other again and again. But Natsu was tiring, and Mirajane was rearing to go. He needed to end this quickly, or he would lose. So, in an all or nothing gamble, he yelled

**"Fire Dragons Meteor!" **Combining his two attacks, he lit his fists, and in small breaths, rapidly blew on them. Asteroids fell, aflame, the size of the monstrosities were thrice as large as Natsu fists and dozens more in quantity. Now Mirajane was under attack of falling objects, and but instead of running, she flew towards Natsu, dropping and weaving around the meteorites. Natsu only had the strength for one more attack, so he mustered up his energy, and blasted a last

**"Fire Dragons Roar!" **As Mirajane rounded up the last meteor, she spotted the incoming flames, grabbed the last rock, and tossed it. Fire bellowed against stone, but rock was steady and stubborn. It hit Natsu, without a fight, he was knocked unconscious and back to the orchard. Mirajane pumped her fists in triumph, ecstatic that she had finally beaten the thief, but her victorious mood was short lived. The flames that had struck the rock, instead of spluttering out, had regrouped behind the boulder, and reformed into the jet of flame. Caught unawares, Mirajane was hit directly in the chest, and she too fell back to Earth.

* * *

(Elfman's POV)

Before she hit the ground, Elfman caught her, and stood there, checking on his sister. He sighed in relief, as he made sure she wasn't in any danger of dying. He ran back to the mansion, so the maids could take care of her wounds. But he threw up the 'Going back to the mansion' lacrima before leaving, hoping that wherever Lisanna was, she would see it, and also return.

At least, he hoped she would. The fight itself had not felt too long, but the moon was starting to rise, and clouds ominously gathered at such a speed, that led Elfman to believe was unnatural.

_'Be safe my sister. I sense bad times ahead' _Praying to the sky, he forced himself to focus on getting back to the mansion. Lisanna could handle herself, and though Mirajane wasn't about to die, the wounds would become more sever if not treated any sooner. So he thought only about the fastest way to get back, and nothing more.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

_'Chickshou! It was a tie again!'_ Natsu complained in his head. He was too tired to talk to himself, and even thinking was a chore.  
_'Great. Oh well, I'll just sleep here for a day or so, then go back and tell Igneel it was a tie again. Guess he was right about females, they really can be strong' _No energy left, he let the drowsiness in his eyes take over, and within a few minutes, he was snoring.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

Was he really asleep? The man Mira-nee was fighting? She poked his cheek with a stick, and hid behind a shrub. When the man didn't react, she carefully tried to pick him up.

_'Mira-nee will be so happy when I bring back this man. I bet she's really tired, it looked like a tough battle' _Her attention was drawn back to the man, when she found how heavy he was.

"Grr… Erg…. GAH!" She grunted as she tried to budge him, but he was much heavier than he looked. She would never make it back to the mansion at this rate.

"Elf-nii! Mira-nee! Elf-nii!" Well, calling didn't work either. What was she going to do with this horrible, evil man? She couldn't be stuck here alone with him! The moon shifted away from the clouds, and Lisanna finally got a good view at the thief. It was a boy! A young boy! About her age! How could this be? Did Mira-nee know already? Was this her secret? No, she was letting the seed of doubt sprout. She tried to clam down.

_'Oh well. At least this couldn't get any worse' _

**Boom**

It was if the world had responded. Thunder rumbled, and let loose its luggage. Rain poured on Lisanna's head, and soaked her clothes. She sneezed and sniffed. If she didn't find shelter soon, she would either freeze to death and get hypothermia, or drown in all this water. Natsu groaned, and Lisanna hid in her bush again.

"W-w-what do you want!" Natsu weakly pointed to his left.

"Tree… Shelter… Go…" No way, it had to be a trap. There was no way her enemy would just give her directions to a place to stay.

"W-w-what about you?" He laughed weakly.

"I need… to sleep… Gimme… a couple minutes… I'll… be fine…" Then his hand dropped, but the snoring stopped. Lisanna stayed where she was, wondering what she should do.

_'I can't trust him. He's the enemy. He defeated Mira-nee for heavens sake. He's probably as cunning as a snake!' _She sneezed, and shivers travelled all over her body. _'Then again, if I don't go and just check, I'm going to die anyway' _Tiptoeing around Natsu, she scurried in the direction Natsu had pointed.

Many minutes passed, but they felt like hours. She kept pinching herself, forcing herself to keep going. There were several times that Lisanna felt she had fallen asleep running. She was so tired… And she didn't see the tree she ran into. Falling on her bottom, she slowly got up, rubbing her sore area.

"Ouch…" Then she peered through the rain. Even inches in front of her, she could barely see in this weather. She reached out felt for anything, and could feel something soft, and wet, but stiff too it was a tree. Great. That would help a lot. She shuffled to the left and walked forward—

**Bump**

This time, she almost ran into the tree. A few tears threatened to rise, as she rubbed her poor forehead. Reaching out, she could still feel the tree. Just how large was this thing? This time she ran as fast as she could for ten seconds, then stopped. Reaching out, she felt the tree again. This couldn't be the tree could it? But even if it was, how was this shelter? How would this help her?

As she felt the tree, she felt her hand dip a little, then come up again. It was so faint, she almost missed it, but retracing, she found the indent, and rested her hand there. It felt like… an arrow. She was out of ideas anyway, what harm would this do to her? Running with her hand to the bark, Lisanna kept running, running around the tree until… There was no tree. She couldn't feel anything. She took a step back, and found the bark again. So this was where it stopped. She held her hands out, and stepped forward. The smell of musty straw overwhelmed her, and it beckoned for her, calling out to her. She could finally rest, and her whole body sagged in delight.

_'Thank god I found this place!' _But then she stopped; a sudden, horrible realization took over her. She was only here, because the man had been kind enough to tell her about this place. That BOY, the thief who had stolen apples from Mr. Morbis's orchard, who had fought head on with her big sister, Mira-nee. He was a child HER age, and she had left him to die.

'But the warm bed… It looks so comfy…' One side of her yearned. The other was desperate to go save the boy. 'But we must help him!' Arguing, the voices fought over and over, but with time, the one who needed rest was losing, her body ready to drop.

_'I can rest now… and go get him when I wake up… Yeah… I'll do that…'_

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

It was so cold… And he felt faint… He would go challenge the she-devil after a quick nap… But a warm feeling, spread throughout his body and gave him new energy. His eyes cracked open, to see a silver haired girl, dragging him over her shoulder.

_'Ah… My guardian angel… Here to take me to heaven…' _Then he fell back asleep, dreams peaceful, thoughts full, content.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

Who was she kidding! There was no way she would let someone else die because of her own selfish reasons! She would rather die! So she had forced herself to go back and get him. It was a miracle that she had found the tree again. As soon as the smell of wood and straw entered her nostrils, she plopped down, and fell asleep with Natsu beside her.

* * *

**Tutururu! See? They did sleep together! X)P Yeah, that was a super bad emoticon thing. Whatever. I shall update soon! I hope!**

**-****Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD **


	13. IT Returns

**A certain someone told me that it would be a good idea to post this on Thanksgiving weekend, so I am. I think it's a good idea, what about you? Much more Lisanna and Natsu interactions! I CAN promise you that. So, here we go!**

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

Annoying beams of sunlight shone on the delicate face of the youngest Strauss. Lisanna groaned, irritated that her sleep had been so abruptly interrupted. Snuggling into a more comfortable position, she mumbled what was in a human's nature.

"Five more minutes…" After her said period of rest, she deemed herself ready with enough energy to open her eyes. It was a warm sunny day, with birds chirping, calling for mates. Cracking her eyes open, she stared straight-ahead… straight at something moving. Lisanna eyes were now wide-open, adrenaline shot straight through her, her heart already starting to thump in her ears. Slowly, ever so slowly, she stretched her neck, and raised her head. Upon closer examination, it was a tanned colour, warm, and it rose up, then down, up, then down. She carefully pushed her body away from the moving thing, and stood straight up, hands out, and legs bent. As soon as she had gotten herself up, she looked at what she had nearly awoken.

It was that thief, the pink haired one. The moment of danger over, Lisanna let out a deep breath, but guard was still somewhat raised. What was he doing here? Then the memories rushed back. The fight, the thunderstorm, the tree, and her recklessness when she dragged the boy back with her. She swept her gaze to her surroundings, and felt a tingle of wonder.

The tree had wet morning dew, clinging to moss, small bits of fungi sticking out at hundreds of different angles, small ants, going about their business with food on their backs. She took in all the details, and some loneliness crept into her. Elf-niichan would have loved this place. It was actually rather large, a hallow space inside a tree, around the size of two rooms, but the only thing inside was a comfortable mossy bed.

Lisanna considered her options. She could take her back to the mansion with him, and go back to her siblings… but how would she find her way? She wasn't all that tired now, but she had no idea where she was. On the other hand, the boy had known about this safe haven tree, maybe he knew more, or the way back. Seems like staying with him was the best choice. But there was no way she would just let him go free while she was with him.

Heading outside, she searched for some sort of material to tie his hands with. Soon, she ripped off a hanging plant that was long, and seemed sturdy.

"Alright then Mr. Thief, time to tie you up" She stretched the vine around his hands—

"ITEH!" Recoiling in pain, she fell on her backside, rubbing her hands.

"What was that?" Reaching carefully again for the boy's hands, she could feel the searing heat emanating from his skin. He had a serious fever.

"Oh no…" At first, the natural pity she would feel for anyone in his position crept over, but then she steeled herself. He was the enemy; there was no need to feel sorry for him. But wait… if he died…

_'Then I can't get home…' _The only chance back to her family would be gone. She wouldn't let that happen. For now, not because she felt sorry, but because she wanted to go home, she would heal him.

Throwing the vine to the side, as there was no way he could escape like this, and he would probably just burn through the ropes with his fever, she ran out, in search of a nearby river.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

Natsu could feel himself lying helpless in a heap in his emergency hideout. It was a tree he had burned through as delicately as he could. Then he washed out the burns and threw a bunch of moss at the back, some buried food, and made sure the tree was near a river, and it had some big leaves to catch water when needed.

He'd made the tree on his father's advice in case something happened. It probably never would, but it was best to be safe. It additionally acted as a good rendezvous point.

_'Thanks for this Tou-san…' _He thought in his stupor. Suddenly, his upper body felt cooler, a relief that caused Natsu's body to relax and let out tension. A warbled voice garbled

"Whew…" He could make out a shape, but couldn't think straight. Who was it taking care of him? Whoever it was, he now owed a debt, and no matter what, he would definitely return it. But for now, he had to rest. Rest… The word itself acted as a drug, inducing the nagging need for sleep. Without realizing it, Natsu began to snore.

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

"CHICKSHOU!" Slamming the sandbag with her fist, it erupted into a million pieces, countless amounts of sand flying in every direction, creating a sandy haze of mist.

Elfman stood there unflinchingly, simply closing his eyes to avoid being blinded. He too was worried, but he'd been taught that just cause you were angry with yourself that didn't mean he had to use all his energy into hitting things.

"THAT FLAMING BASTARD!" This time the angry sibling kicked around her so fast; it looked like she was creating a barrier against the falling sand. Jumping into the air, Mirajane had every intention to destroy the floor, but Elfman jumped into the way, arm already transformed into stone, so Mirajane pulled back. But not fast enough to stop all the attack. There was a solid boom to anyone outside the room, and the building shook, but otherwise nothing happened.

Inside the training room however, the walls were cracked, ground was split, and if Elfman had not been there to block it, Mirajane would have anything in a mile radius.

"Nee-chan…" Mirajane fell, sitting down, hand to her face, holding in the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I know! I KNOW! Calm down right?" The elder sister sucked in a breath.

"Ah… Thanks Elfman" Elfman nodded in acknowledgment, and Mirajane inhaled another shaky breath.

"Now what should we do Elfman? Our little sister is gone, that kid probably the one who took her" She looks up, eyes read and head pounding from the many of hours of staying awake. "If we catch him… I'll kill him" Elfman normally would have stopped him, but his rage was still there. He nodded again, in wholehearted agreement.

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

Grunting, Lisanna hauled a ton of water inside a plant leaf. It spilled in places, but the whole of it kept inside, as the shape-shifter was careful to balance it evenly.

"Oh-toh…" Gently setting it down, she began to dip the moss inside it, placing it on Natsu's forehead, and feeding him some berries she had in her pocket. Mirajane had forced her to learn all sorts of plants and their effects, at first Lisanna had cursed and hated the cruel lessons. But now, they were her saving grace.

"Mira-nee, I definitely take back all the things I said then…" Wiping her brow from the hours of sweat she had produced, she sighed. This was harder than she thought.

As soon as she felt she had done as much as she could for him, she plopped down beside him, breathing heavy.

"I hope you feel better. That was a lot of work" Obviously, there was no reply, but somehow, Lisanna felt the urge to talk to somebody. "You're my only hope you know? To get home, to see Mira-nee and Elf-niichan. That's the only reason I'm helping you," She let the pause continue for a while. "Do you have any family where you came from? Are they nice? I haven't met my parents, but I really hope I get to meet them someday" She turned to face the pink haired boy, and could see a few shooting stars in the starry night sky.

"OH!" Clasping her hands together, she quickly prayed "I wish to be able to see my family again" Staring outside, Lisanna wondered what would happen when the boy woke up. Would he try to escape? Was he prideful? Would he try to attack? Would he even thank her? She doubted it. Soon her thoughts swirled together and she fell asleep.

* * *

(Elfman's POV)

Elfman surveyed his work, a drawing of what cues he could find out about Mr. Morbis in his library of the orchard. Apparently, he had inherited it from his father or something, and was always a bit… ditzy. So, the boy had had to research himself. His sister was in no shape to do anything, and even in her top condition, she would never be able to do something so complicated as paperwork.

"Tea sir?" Elfman glanced up to see slightly older brunette maid smile at him. He gave a grunt, took a sip from the cup that had been set down, and continued flipping through books. When he could hear any indication that the maid had left, he looked up again, her smile unwavering. Elfman went straight to the point.

"Is there something you want?" The maid shook her head, but she spoke up.

"I was just admiring what a hard worker you were, you've been here for hours already. And you've completed quite a lot of the geographical area of this orchard, I'm very impressed" Elfman shrugged modestly, not honestly caring one way or another, and returned his attention to the books with a question.

"I don't suppose you have an already completed map already?" The answer was not the one Elfman had expected.

"Yes, yes, I do actually," She reached into her outfit into her pockets, wherever they were hidden, and took out what looked like a dusty parchment. "It's a bit old, but not much has really changed. You're welcome to use it" Elfman stared at the paper, then directly into the girl's eyes.

"What do you want for this?" The girl swished in a little twirl, and waked to the door.

"Oh, nothing really. I just hope you find your sister," She held the door open for a second, looked back, and before she walked out whispered "But I'll have to call on this little favor someday. But I doubt you'll remember me at that point" And the door clicked shut, Elfman still staring at the piece of paper which had been handed to him.

* * *

(Natsu's POV)

The silence was what woke him up, the cold, dreaded silence, in which the fact that nothing suspicious was happening was even more suspicious. He got up with surprising ease, but a twinge of pain still shot through his body. He winced, and shivered. It was a bit cloudy, with a chilly wind passing by. The fire mage attempted to summon the usual flame to his fist, but for some unfathomable reason, he was unable to. Trying and trying again, he shook his hand unsuccessful.

This time, he tried to light his feet, but the result was the same. Somehow, his flame was locked away, or stolen or something. How was that possible? Over and over again, he struggled summon any kind of spark, until he exhausted all his mental reserves, flopping back onto his mossy bed.

"What the heck?" Looking at his palm, turning it over, looking all over his body, he found no indication of any sort of spell that would stop him from using his magic. Who could have—?

The girl. It had to be her. A vein pulsed on Natsu's forehead. How dare she? She really shouldn't touch what wasn't hers! He hopped to his feet, intent on giving her a piece of his mind. Following her scent, he ran off into the forest.

Speeding at high speeds, Natsu jumped onto a tree branch, to hide from others (Igneel trained him, it was a force of habit), and to check his progress. Sniffing the air, he could see the scent trail turning here, plus, the big arrow on the side of the tree was also a pretty good hint. He could even hear a river. Bouncing high, he landed with a thwump, right in front of the flowing water known as a river.

The scent trail was hers for sure, but she must have taken a bath or something, because the trail ended here. Great. Now where could she have gone?

A somewhat familiar scent wafted in his nose, but he couldn't quite place it. He tracked it across the river, fresh and strong. It was dung, and flies already began to crawl over it. Natsu was used to such sights, his father had forced him to get used to anything he had considered gross months ago.

But what was bothering him was the feeling he had had in the morning was getting stronger, like it was emanating from the remains of something's lunch. Natsu, not liking this one bit, was ready to stubbornly run in circles, searching for the girl, not sure for revenge or just to help her. How could one little girl make so much trouble for him? But just as he was leaving, a drop of rain splattered over his face. Then another, and another, till it began to rain, all scents washing away.

"Cheh," he spat. "Can't be helped. Guess I'll just go back to the tree and sleep—" A roar ofshrill scream, pierced the air, and Natsu covered his ears to avoid deafness. It was coming from the direction of the tree. Natsu grinned.

"Found~ you~"

* * *

(Lisanna's POV)

And… Done! That was the last mushroom, now she could go back and cook some stew. When the young girl had searched the tree, surprisingly, she'd find some bowls, pots, pans, and even some berries. Happily using the utensils, she predicted that the boy's healing time would rapidly decrease with some good food. So, over the past weeks she had been taking care of Lisanna, she'd dutifully go out breakfast, lunch and dinner, to look for food to eat. Any other time, and she would be trying to find a way back, mapping, searching, and getting back more cheerful than usual. Everyday was a little closer to getting home after all.

"Wonder what I should put inside my soup?" Deep in thought, she wasn't able to hear the rustling sounds behind her, until a loud

**Snap**

Was heard. Whirling around, she got ready to run, but any hope of escaping was crushed, as she realized who had snuck up on her. A large, black and white bunny, the size of a bear. From the textbooks she'd read at home, it was a Rabbit-bear. Was this it's territory? They'd been here for weeks, with no sign of it? So why now? The mammal reared its front hands, slamming into the ground. Roaring in challenge, Lisanna met its call with a scream of her own.

* * *

(Mirajane's POV)

Something tapped her. Half asleep, she tried lazily swatting it away, but it just kept jabbing, more and more consistently. Now she was angry. She twisted around, and punched however it was where his face would be. Instead, she struck muscle. It was Elfman, a finger to his lips.

"Elfman? What are you—?"

"Shhh…" He held a small lamp in his hands, and beckoned her to the bedside table. There was an old map there, and Mirajane took a closer look.

"You woke me just to look at some paper?" She hissed.

"No, I woke you so we could look for Lisanna" Mirajane was instantly awake. No questions asked, she got up, slipped her clothes on, and was out the door in 5 seconds.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go already?" As Elfman hurried to catch up, he had to smile. His sister was so adorable in the way she cared for his sister. He allowed the smile to stay for another second, then wiped away all traces of it, business face on.

Reaching for the entrance door, they were stopped by a short figure who Mirajane bumped into, and sent them both to the floor, but Mirajane was caught by his brother, while the man landed with a toot sound.

"Iteh… I'm getting old, not even knowing you were behind that door" Both Mirajane and Elfman gasped.

"Old man!" Makarov dusted the dirt from his jacket, and gave his signature smile and hand.

"Yo! I heard about Lisanna" Mirajane's face clouded with confusion, but she forced it to clear.

"O-of course" Elfman raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"When did you say that Nee-san?" Mirajane turned away, unable to look her brother in the face. The quiet boy took note, but did not press further. Her sister would drop unintentional clues anyway if he waited.

* * *

(Makarov's POV)

_"So, she hasn't told his brother. Good, I'm glad she actually listened. But really, to think she hasn't defeated this young boy yet. If he hasn't already been corrupted… I wonder if he has a place to call home, or someone to call family… I wonder… Fire from the body…_

* * *

**Unfortunately, some bad news. My favourite Mac, which is about 6-7 years old, has just become unusable for now. Why? Well, it still works but problem is, that my recharger is also the same age, and has ceased to work. Getting a new one, but it'll still take a while to get here. Now, I do have other computers, but I definitely prefer the Mac's keyboard, so I'll just have to suck it up and keep writing. But, may take even a bit longer. Sorry. **

**-Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD**


End file.
